Fight Club
by CasiNight
Summary: Steve and Danny are trapped in the dangerous world of underground fighting. In order to keep both of them alive, Danny is forced to fight while Steve is helpless to watch from the sidelines. Danny whump! Steve angst! BROMANCE!
1. Chapter 1

**Here we go, guys. Thank you so much for your patience. I've been having a really hard time. I lost my closest friend recently and that hit me really hard. She didn't die, but she moved away and we've just kind of grown apart, but it still hurts. On top of that, problems at work have forced me to go searching for a new job, which means leaving all my co-workers, whom I love, and I've been job hunting. Anyways, long story short, it's been kind of hard to write after that, especially about close friends, and I just feel like everything I write is horrible, but I decided to just post this anyways. I hope it's not too horrible.**

 **I should warn everyone of the rating. It's rated T because this story has the potential to get a little rough. It's about fight clubs, so . . . use your discretion.**

 **Onto the story! This story was inspired by the movie _Cinderella Man._ I've actually had it in mind for awhile but just never had the chance to put metaphorical pen to metaphorical paper. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O. If I did, season 6 would be quiet different from season 5.**

 **Enjoy!**

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"His name is Charles Xander. He has a PhD in history and used to have a family until his wife left him and moved to the mainland," Kono instructed, her fingers dancing over the screen of the table as she presented the information that she had found.

Their newest target was the head of a fight club. The best they could figure out was that he had become bored with the everyday trivialities and so decided to join the underworld. Now, because of his intelligence, he had become the most powerful man in the fight club world in Hawaii.

Steve McGarrett stood next to Danny Williams at the table, both surveying the information as their arms brushed against each others. Recent events, Steve's kidnapping by Wo Fat, Matt's death, etc., had drawn them closer together than ever before and they were barely separated by an inch these days; which is why Steve felt Danny bristle when Kono said that the man's wife had left him. It was a tender subject for the detective and Steve knew that Danny already felt just a little sorry for the man. Sometimes, he was just too compassionate.

"Do we have any whereabouts on Xander?" Steve asked, looking in between the screen and the table.

"The last place he was seen was the warehouse district, down by the waterfront, but they move after every fight, so they're probably gone by now." Chin interrupted, walking through the glass door of his office and entering the main area.

Steve and Danny exchanged a look, an entire conversation occurring in the span of a few seconds before they looked back up at the cousins. "Okay," Steve began, "Danny and I will go check that out. Kono, keep trying to find as much information on Xander as you can. I want to know everything about him. Chin, I need to you out on the street, shaking down every contact you have. See if you can get an address for the next fight."

Chin and Kono nodded, starting on their tasks as Steve and Danny left the office. The Camaro was waiting where it always was and Steve drove, sitting silently as he waited for Danny to put in his thoughts. When no thoughts came, he looked over at his partner, concerned. _Maybe that detail of the guy being a father shook him up more than I thought it would._ "Danny, you okay?"

Danny seemed to return from a trance and looked up at Steve. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking."

Steve nodded and returned his eyes to the road. "About Xander?"

Danny nodded. "Kind of. But also about the MO."

"What about it?"

"They move after every fight."

"So?"

Danny looked at his partner, wondering how he was the only one to have seen it. "This is a huge operation, Steve. It would take time to move. It would have to be crazy organized. Maybe they forgot something and left a clue behind. Hell! Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll have left a person behind!"

Steve smiled. "Good idea, Danny. I knew there was a reason I kept you."

"Uh huh. Very funny. If anyone's keeping anyone, I'm keeping you." By this time, the Jersey native was speaking animatedly, hands outlining his thoughts.

Steve smiled and looked over at his partner, eyes holding warm affection . . . and teasing. "I always knew you loved me."

Danny sighed and Steve only smiled wider.

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Steve always wondered what the perfect car for police work would be and he knew that, as much as he loved it, Danny's Camaro was not it. The door closed too loudly. But he didn't have time to dwell on the thought as he saw some men moving boxes in the warehouse that had last been used for the fight club. Signaling his partner, they moved towards the warehouse, drawing their guns and sprinting towards the large doors.

The men moving the large boxes saw them coming, though, and dropped the crates, reaching behind their backs. "Freeze! Five-O! Put your hands where I can see them!" Steve said, sensing Danny stop next to him and aim towards a staircase on the side of the metal building.

Steve continued to cover the men but looked up as Charles Xander appeared in his sight.

"Charles Xander!" Danny yelled. "Freeze and put your hands where I can see them."

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. There is no need for this." The cocking of a shotgun resonated within the space, causing Steve and Danny to glance at each other, conveying the silent message that neither of them was going anywhere, before returning their attention to man in front of them. "That was the sound of a double barrel shotgun, gentlemen. Drop you weapons."

Another glance was exchanged before the put their guns on the ground, allowing for men to come forward and kick them away. Their handcuffs were taken from their belts and roughly secured around their wrists behind their backs. Next went their phones, thrown into the dirt side by side. "There. Was that so hard?" Xander asked, smiling. "Now, if you would please join me in my office."

Steve and Danny had no choice but to oblige and walked close together, not daring to let the other be more than a foot away. Steve leaned over, whispering to Danny, "Looks like you were right, Danny. It does take a long time for them to move." A rough shove came from behind, causing Steve to stumble. Danny watched him with concern, only moving when Steve nodded at him.

The office that they were ushered into was obviously the overseers office when the warehouse was used for more legal purposes. Sparsely furnished, all of its decorum could have been packed into a single box and carried out by one man. However, it was most definitely a room with a view. It overlooked the entire floor and Danny could just imagine a steel fight cage sitting in the center of the floor.

"So," Xander began, sitting down in a fold up chair and steepling his fingers, "now that you have found my little business, there is the question of what to do with you. I could probably just kill you and dump your bodies." He watched the partners for a reaction but saw none and smiled. "Excellent, absolutely perfect. I needed some new blood and here comes two Five-O men with some sand. To have just killed the two of you would have been such a waste anyways. No money in simply killing people." He fell into silence, looking them up and down and circling them like he was about to fit them for a suit.

He started with Steve, looking him up and down once before staring into his eyes. Steve held the gaze, fighting a silent battle of wills before Xander finally said, "Ex-military. What are you, 6'2"? 180 pounds? Nah. No good. No money here." Xander moved onto Danny, a small smile creasing his lips as he looked the detective up and down. Steve's heart leapt into his throat as he remembered something about needing new blood. Now the psycho was looking at his partner with a glint in his eyes. Nothing could have prepared him to what came next.

"You're not from around here. Good. New style. You must be around 5'5", maybe 150. Perfect. You'll be going in the cage tonight." Steve couldn't hear what else he said as he leaned forward and whispered something into Danny's ear, resulting in his partner to dart a glance at him, panic creasing his features.

Steve turned frantic, confused by the look in his partner's eyes, willing to do anything he had to in order to make that look never appear again. "Listen. I was a Navy SEAL. I'm a better fighter. Put me in the ring-."

"That's exactly why I don't want you in the ring. No sport. You're an ex-SEAL. However, I put a haole cop in the ring, especially one of his size, and, suddenly, the money starts flowing. No. My mind's made up. He'll be fighting tonight." Xander turned away and grabbed a circle of string with a tag on it off his desk, turning back around and throwing it over Danny's head. "Jerry! Take these two to the truck! The blonde one will be fighting tonight."

With that, Danny and Steve were pushed off to a truck, which quickly left, leaving the Camaro and an empty warehouse in its wake.

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 **How was it? As I said above, I hope it wasn't too bad. Please tell me what you thought with a review. I would really appreciate some feedback.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! I already had this chapter written and I simply couldn't wait to post it. The support I've gotten for this story is simply overwhelming and I want to thank everyone. I don't really know when I was planning on posting this, but I decided to do it early. See what positive feedback does? :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or any of it's characters. If I did, this would've been an actual episode because BROMANCE reasons. :)**

 **ENJOY!**

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Steve stared at Danny, who had remained silent through the whole ordeal. The Five-O leader simply couldn't take his eyes off the card hanging around his partner's neck. It taunted him, told him that his partner was going to be beaten to death while he watched, and he wanted to rip it away and tear it to pieces, put those pieces in the dirt, and burn them so he wouldn't even have to look at the shreds. "Danny . . . Danny, say something."

Blue eyes looked up and met hazel ones and all he saw was fear. "Danny . . . you're going to be okay."

The fear was touched with anger now. "It's not me I'm worried about, Steve!" Something clicked then and Danny finally started speaking. "Xander, he . . . he told me that if I didn't fight, he'd . . . he'd kill you. He'd shoot you before throwing me in the ring anyway. I can't let him do that, Steve. I have to co-operate."

"But Danny, these fighters are bigger than I am! They use every dirty trick in the book. I bet you that every single one of these fighters uses steroids." Steve said, concerned when his partner didn't react like he thought he would.

Instead, he smiled. "Then I guess I'll just have to depend on my experience and my raw talent."

Steve could've punched him. Once again, Danny was at peace with the results of whatever reckless action he was about to take as long as Steve got out of it. _And he yells at me for being reckless. Takes one to know one._

The truck came to a stop then, and the back doors opened up, revealing two men waiting to drag them out. Danny and Steve didn't try to fight this time, going voluntarily into the sunlight. A compound was what greeted them. Steve could only guess, by the amount of time that had passed, that they were somewhere in the mountains, an old forgotten place that no one had bothered to check.

This compound was obviously a more permanent place of crime by the way that all the men responded to it. There were cars strewn about and lawn chairs in front of a gray slab building. Danny even noticed a grill in the corner. _Everyone has to have a place to call home._

"Guys, are the handcuffs really necessary? These are our guests! This is a new fighter! He can't hurt his hands with handcuffs. He needs those later! Besides," Xander said, coming from, seemingly, out of nowhere and standing before the two detectives. His voice dropped dangerously low as he looked at Danny, a small smile playing across his lips as a look of simple cruelty came into his eyes for the first time. "I don't think we'll have any trouble in making these two do what we want."

Steve saw the fear flash in Danny's eyes for a moment before cold resolution settled in. The handcuffs were removed then and they were led deeper into the compound. It looked like something straight out of _The Walking Dead._ Rows of rooms lined the way in and they were finally exposed to the center of the building, which was an open space with a dirt floor. A tall, metal, fence circle sat in the center and Danny eyed it like it was the opponent. Steve unconsciously stepped closer to his partner as he looked at it, too, feeling vulnerable and like it, as well as the badge, were staring at him.

Xander came up from behind them and circled around, arms wide and enthusiastic. "This is your new office, Williams! It doesn't have the best view, but you'll never be bored. Follow me!"

He continued to lead them through until they were at, what seemed to be, the very back of the building. A green door with rusted edges opened before them into what looked like a simple locker room. Matching green lockers lined the walls and brown benches sat in the middle of each row of lockers. A sink and fridge sat off to one side as well as what looked like a fully stocked first-aid cabinet. That did not give Steve a warm and fuzzy feeling. "Welcome to your new home, gentlemen."

The tag was removed from around Danny's neck before they were roughly shoved into the room, the door slamming behind them as a locking mechanism sounded. Danny sat down as Steve paced, searching every single corner for a way out. He even tried the solidity of the door, ramming his shoulder against the metal a few times just for good measure.

"Damn. This door won't budge," he said, looking it up and down. After receiving no response, he turned around and frowned at Danny simply sitting on the bench.

"Danny, what are you doing? Don't you want a way out!? We need to get out of here or their going to force you to fight." Steve felt bad when he realized that he was letting his frustration out at his partner and softened when he saw Danny wince at his last statement. "Danny? Hey, buddy. Come on, babe. Talk to me."

Danny shook his head, placing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Silence was his only response.

Steve chuckled. "I don't know what's freakier, that psycho out there or your silence in here."

Danny chuffed and then looked up, revealing frightened blue eyes to his partner. This kind of fright was different from the previous one. Sure, the previous one was still there, gnawing away at the edges, but this one was new. "I'm scared, Steve. I'm really scared. I wanna see Grace again. And as far as it goes about them forcing me to fight, they've already done that. If I don't fight, you die." He looked up at his partner and smiled a sad, haunted smile. "I can't let that happen. If it means taking a few punches, I can do that, but I am going to do everything in my power to keep you alive."

Steve knelt down in front of his partner, ensconcing Danny's trembling hands in his own. "The road runs both ways, buddy. I don't know how I'm simply going to stand there, on the sidelines, and watch the ever living crap get beaten out of you."

"Give me some credit, Steve."

"It's not your fighting I doubt. It's their honor. These are going to be brutal fights, Danny. I don't know if I can just stand there and watch you."

"I'm sorry to say this, babe," Danny began, looking up into the face of the man he trusted with his life every single day. The man that he would, and was going to, do everything in his power to keep safe. When he had first moved to Hawaii, he had nothing except his occasional visits with his daughter. Steve had given him a purpose, a family, a home. He could never return that favor, and a simple thank you wasn't enough. It wasn't that he wanted to go into that ring and possibly die. He loved his daughter and the thought of losing her was unimaginable. But, if he didn't fight, they would kill Steve and then they would kill him. Grace would have no one. At least this way, Steve could be there to walk Grace down the aisle. "I need you there. I can't do it without you. I need you there for me. Please."

Steve looked at his partner, feeling like he was the one sentenced to fight. His every instinct was to protect the Jersey native, and, yet, here he was, letting him go into that sick fight ring. "Danny . . ." He was about to come back with something when everything suddenly fell into place. If he couldn't go instead of Danny, then he sure as hell wasn't going to leave him alone to fight. He would be there, to cheer him on, to warn him, or, if need be, to hold his hand if the unthinkable happened. "Okay. I'll be there. But if you start fighting dumb, I'm gonna let you know."

They shared a smile, fondness showing in both of their faces as they made a silent and invisible pact. The pact had always been there, but now it had been practically said. "Thanks, babe. This is why I love you."

"Because I let you go into danger?" Steve asked, the smile never leaving his face.

"No, because you always go with me."

Steve's eyes creased with a smile, loving who his partner was and thanking God that he had him. But the moment had to end, and Steve did that when he checked his watch, seeing that it was 7 o'clock. They'd been talking for the better part of an hour and the ride over had taken at least that. Now, the sun was getting ready to set and that meant that the fight was drawing closer. Danny knew this too and neither of them was surprised when the door opened and a burly man with a gun stepped through.

"It's time to fight, small-fry."

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 **How was it? Please tell me with a review. I love reviews. They make my day. Have a great rest of the day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys. Here's the next chapter. Sorry about the long wait. It's been a rough summer.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five O or it's characters.**

 **ENJOY!**

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Steve walked behind Danny as they were ushered through the same stone halls. This time, though, there was a lot of noise coming from the area that was the center. Upon entering it, the noise increased as it echoed and men were crowded around the fence, looking in on a smiling shark. He was at least 6'2" and had to be all of 200 pounds. His blonde hair was trimmed back in a buzz cut and he was wearing torn and bloodied black pants.

Steve's hand unconsciously made its way to Danny's back and he felt that the muscles there were rigid and slightly shaking. He didn't remove his hand until they were separated, which was when Steve was forced to stand outside the gate while Danny went inside, shooting a look back over his shoulder when the hand vanished. Steve nodded, signaling that he wasn't going anywhere. Danny nodded back and then turned to face his opponent.

The yelling increased as the man stalked forward, circling Danny like he was a vulture. Danny only moved slightly, keeping at least 5 feet of space between him and his rival. Suddenly, the man charged, propelling straight into Danny with his shoulder and throwing him into the dirt under his massive weight. Danny struggled violently until his back connected with the dirt. Momentarily stunned, he wasn't ready for the fist to the face.

Steve winced, briefly closing his eyes as he fought to control his growing emotions. Watching his partner get beaten was much worse that he had thought it would be, and a voice in the back of his mind told him that it was only going to get worse. _This is only going to get worse_. "Come on, Danny! Get up!"

Danny heard his partner, cheering him on, and, bolstered by the presence, swung a fist, connecting with a jaw. The brute staggered away, holding his face, before dropping his hand and revealing blood dripping down his chin. Fire flared in the man's eyes and Danny barely had time to dodge as a fist came his way. He dropped to the ground as the fist swung over his head and allowed the momentum to carry the man over him. Once behind the opponent, he lanced out with his foot, catching the back to the fighters knee. A great cry erupted from the assailant and he went down, now the perfect height for Danny to leap on his back and wrap his arms around his neck. That position didn't last long though as the man grabbed Danny's arms and threw him over his head, allowing him to crash several feet away.

Steve watched as Danny rolled over slowly, propping himself up on his elbows and watching as the competition got back to his feet, favoring his good leg. Danny had gotten a good kick in and the man was thoroughly crippled, leveling the playing field by just a little bit. The man may have been a good head taller, but Danny had taken out a leg. His odds were better than when had started. Half of Steve was congratulating Danny for such a good show so far. The other half was dreading what was to come because the fight was far from over.

Danny got to his feet and went in first this time, sending two, quick jabs at the man's midsection. Nothing happened, so Danny turned to the face, giving a single right hook to the nose. By this time, the fighter had recovered enough and recoiled from the shot to the nose. Anger flared up and Danny braced himself. The opponent stalked forward and threw three punches, all of which Danny dodged. The fourth was different. An uppercut that Danny didn't see coming, caught him square under the jaw, throwing him back into the dirt.

Steve's breath caught in his throat as he watched the man smugly smile and begin to slowly stalk towards Danny. Danny was down, visibly dazed. "Danny. Danny, get up. Danny! Danny, get up! You have to get up! Can you hear me? Get up!"

Dark shadows flitted around the edges of Danny's vision and he tasted blood in his mouth from where he must have bitten his tongue. Rolling onto his side, time seemed to move in slow motion and he heard a familiar voice yelling from somewhere near him. Knowing that this voice was probably important, Danny tried to tune out all the other noise and focus, his head pounding in time with his heart. Eventually, though, he filtered everything else out and heard his partner calling to him. The words were scrambled and he briefly thought about the possibility of a concussion causing all of his problems. A shadow above him made him look up and see a fist come crashing towards him. He narrowly evaded, rolling just in time to keep the fist from smashing into his face and instead let it hit the back of his head. The front of his face ricocheted off the ground and he felt himself being violently yanked into the air and thrown, once more, across the arena.

Steve watched from outside, his eyes taking in every drop of blood and blossoming bruise. Seeing Danny thrown again made him wince and want to crawl inside his own skin and die, but he was forced to keep watching, fingers gripping the steel fence as if he were tearing it down to get to his partner. He would like nothing more than to get in there and protect his partner; to tear the guy, who had hit him, to pieces. Blood was dribbling from the brutes mouth and nose and he was staggering and uncoordinated. _Concussion._ Danny needed to finish the fight and finish it now if he wanted to get out of there in one piece. "Danny! Finish it! One good punch, Danny!"

Danny heard his partner yelling to him and looked up at the other fighter, who now stood above him. Another fist came down and Danny timed it perfectly, rolling to completely miss it and springing up when the man was unbalanced. Swinging his fist, the Jersey native connected with the man's temple, watching as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed in a heap of dust.

Cat calls erupted and pieces of trash were soon raining down on him, but all that mattered was that the gate was opened and Steve was running towards him. At some point, he had fallen back down to his knees and Steve crouched in front of him, grabbing his bruised face, gently, between two warm, steady hands. "Danno? Can you hear me? Can you walk? Come on, buddy. Let's go."

Almost bodily lifting his partner from the ground, Steve wrapped a strong arm around his back and escorted him through the crowd. Objects were flung at them, but Steve deflected all that were heading towards his brother, batting them out of the sky with his hand and sending them flying back towards the people who had thrown them originally. Danny, for his part, kept his head tucked into the side of Steve's chest, left hand gripping the back of the man's shirt, right hand tucked against his own chest, and allowed the SEAL to guide him wherever they were going. He trusted Steve explicitly and didn't question his partners reasoning . . . most of the time.

They made it back to the locker room and were locked in once more, but Steve had more important things to worry about than the strength of the lock on the door. Setting Danny carefully down on a bench, he sat down in front of him and carefully lifted his partner's drooping eyelids, looking at the way that his partner's pupils reacted to an increase of light. At first, Danny recoiled, pulling away, but Steve put his other hand on the side of his brothers neck, grounding the shaken man enough to allow him to assess the damage done. His pupils were sluggish, but still responsive and the same size and Steve deemed that his friend had a mild concussion.

He gave the injured man a light pat on the knee before hurrying to the icebox, grateful that it was at least fully stocked with ice. Next he retrieved some key elements from the first-aid kit, including some butterfly bandages, antiseptic wipes, and Tylenol. Rushing back to Danny's side, Steve set his treasures on the ground and held up the ice to his partner's head. Danny reacted again, hissing when the cold plastic met his battered skull.

"That's cold," he whined, reaching up to replace his brother's hand with his own.

"That's kind of the point, buddy." He went to work then with the wipes, removing as much of the blood as he could and butterfly bandaging some scrapes his partner had acquired. After the detective looked relatively more normal, he sat back on his heels and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Like someone used my head to play basketball. Did I win?"

"Sure did. Win by knockout of all things. You did real good, Danno. But you took almost as much as you dished out. Is there anything I missed?" Steve asked, looking his partner up and down, searching for any unseen damage done.

Danny glanced down at his bruised and bleeding knuckles for a moment before looking back up. He didn't want to be more trouble than he already was and said, "No."

Steve caught the glance though and sighed when Danny responded in the negative. Gently picking up his partner's hand, from where it rested on his knee, he began to carefully clean it with a wipe, offering an apologetic look at his friend when he hissed. "Sorry. You really need to tell me if you're hurt, Danny. I don't want to miss anything in case they make you go back in tomorrow night."

Danny looked up then, his eyes wide and fearful. "Again? They're going to make me fight again?"

Steve wrapped Danny's bruised hand in his own and squeezed gently. "I'm not going to lie to you, buddy. I think it's going to be a little harder to get out of here than I thought."

Danny nodded, determination and resolution in his eyes. "So I gotta fight. I'm just so tired, Steve."

Steve hated Xander now. He was using Steve as a tool to get to the person that he was closes to. And Steve knew his friend. He knew that if Xander threatened Steve with death if Danny didn't fight, Danny would fight every damn night in order to keep him out of harm. Danny would kill himself fighting if it would keep Steve alive.

Changing the subject, Steve released Danny's hand and said, "You better get some sleep," but Danny shook his head. "Danny, if they're going to make you fight, you need to sleep."

"I can't, Steve."

He waited for Danny to continue, hands grasping the bench on either side of his partner.

"Being here, in this condition, plus my usual insomnia, is going to make it impossible for me to sleep."

Steve nodded, understanding now what his partner was talking about. Looking around, his eyes settled on a darkened corner that was relatively clean and he gestured towards it. "You still need to rest at least. Come on." Helping Danny up, he led him to the corner watched him sit down and lean against the wall, a content sigh escaping him. "That better?" Steve asked as he sat down next to him.

Danny nodded, his eyes closed and chin resting on his chest as he simply breathed. "Thanks, babe."

"Anytime, Danny," Steve responded, letting his head fall back against the locker behind him.

They sat that way for an hour at most, sitting in each other's space with not even a centimeter of gap, before Danny bolted awake, head snapping up and turning to the side as his eyes squinted back closed and pain creased his forehead.

Steve reacted violently, turning to his partner and grabbing his shoulders, allowing Danny to clutch his arm in a painful grip. "Danny? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Danny shook his head, "My head."

Steve released his hold on Danny and sprang to his feet, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and the bottle of Tylenol from where it sat on the bench with the other first-aid supplies. Shaking out two pills, he snapped the cap on the bottle of water and rushed back over to his partner. "Here, Danny. This'll help."

Danny was just coherent enough to take the pills that Steve handed him and swallow them down with a gulp of water. In his half-conscious state, he was confused by the pain he was feeling and didn't resist when he felt himself being laid back and rested against something warm and strong. He was asleep within minutes.

Steve didn't think twice when he grabbed his brother and gently laid him in his arms, holding him tightly against his chest to fight off the weak tremors moving through Danny's muscles. After he had situated the detective, he waited as his breathing evened out and then knew that, for once, Danny's insomnia was being merciful.

He studied his partner's face, feeling guilty for every cut and bruise that resided there from the fight. If it wasn't because of him, they wouldn't be there. _I should be in that ring. I should be fighting. Not Danny. He's not as trained as I am._ He didn't doubt his partner's ability to handle himself, but he was a SEAL. A SEAL would be better trained to fight than a cop, no insult intended. It was just the reality of things. But he wasn't being allowed to fight for his partner. So instead, he just had to be there.

His thoughts caused Steve to clutch Danny to his chest just a little bit tighter, making a silent promise that he would be there. He would rather die than break that promise.

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 **How was it? I hope it was alright. I kept putting off posting it and I just decided to post it and hope for the best. Have a great rest of the week!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. Sorry for the really really short chapter. I just wanted to show some of the things that were happening outside of Danny and Steve's perspective and This did that (I hope). More will be on it's way and hopefully that will be longer. However, I also mainly wanted to get this chapter out for all of you so it would give you something to read. I hope it helps.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or it's characters.**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

Chin looked out the window of the Five-O offices, noticing the dark sky that sat beyond the crystal clear windows. Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams had gone out earlier that day, around lunch, and hadn't returned. No calls, no texts, and no emails. All calls to them had gone unanswered and there were no clues to where they could have gone. The only thing that the team had to go on was that Danny's car was still at the warehouse. But the disturbing side of the situation came when their wallets, badges, guns, and cell phones were found inside the car. This accounted for all the missed calls and texts.

Kono came into the main area, face downcast as she walked over to the center table. "HPD hasn't found out anything else about Danny and Steve's disappearance. It's like the vanished into thin air."

"A few contacts I have said that the warehouse wasn't completely cleared out of Xander's things until around lunch today. Do you think Steve and Danny saw them and tried to make a move alone?" Chin asked, punching a few buttons on the table, pulling up photos of the abandoned Camaro and the personal articles found inside.

"It wouldn't be the first time that Steve went in somewhere without any backup," Kono replied, leaning casually against the table.

Chin nodded. "But he had Danny. They must have been ambushed, or at least outnumbered. Then they must have been transported."

Kono's eyes lit up, fingers beginning to dance over the screen. "Which would have probably taken a moving truck, or, at least, a van. I'm going to put in a search through all the traffic cameras coming out of the warehouse for trucks or moving vans."

Several moments went by until a van appeared, white and windowless. Kono followed it, using the cameras, until it suddenly disappeared down a side road. Kono tried to pick it up again on the other cameras that covered the exits of those side roads, but it didn't appear. "Where could it go?"

"There is one road that no cameras cover that it could've gone down," Chin said darkly, pulling up a map on the screen.

A map of a single road that just seemed to fade off appeared on the screen. The surrounding area was probably more than 50 square miles and Kono's face fell as she looked at the evidence that Chin had just provided. "So we have no clues on where they could've gone?"

Chin nodded, letting out a sigh as he surveyed the territory in front of him. "We have a single clue that narrows down the area of where they are to a scale that they could be dead before we are even close to finding them."

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 **How was it? Once again, I'm sorry for the shortness. I'll be back soon with more Steve and Danny bromance. I can't stand an episode without it so I am equally intolerable of chapters/stories without it. Have a great rest of the week if I don't see you.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! I know that I just updated, but I just decided to keep writing and post another chapter. You can all probably expect another chapter soon as well, I'm feeling very inspired suddenly. Also, I just really didn't like leaving everyone with no bromance, so I wrote this. Plus, I got a new laptop and I just really want to use it and I love it! It's so much better than my other one and it's really pretty. :)**

 **Moving onto the story, this chapter is going to have heavy bromance once again. I was pretty cruel with leaving you without any in chapter 4 so I had to make up for that. This chapter and the ones to follow are gonna start to really hurt poor Danny, so I hope you all don't mind. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or it's characters.**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

Steve slowly woke, stretching his eyelids against the sleep that clouded them. Looking down at the weight in his arms, he grimaced at the extensive bruising that had appeared overnight. Some of the swelling had diminished, but dark blue and purple splotches had appeared all over his friend's face and arms. Steve felt guilty for every single one of them.

Noise broke Steve from his reverie, coming from the hallway outside. Steve quickly and gently placed Danny on the floor and rushed over to the door, waiting there for when it opened in order to protect his vulnerable partner.

Xander walked through the door, escorted by two heavily armed men. "Ah, Commander. How are we this morning? You look a little hungry. I'll be sure to have food brought up as soon as possible. And how is our fighter?"

He began to round the corner towards Danny, but Steve hopped in front, blocking his path with his body and a malevolent look. "He's resting. He needs the sleep."

Xander smiled. "I agree. Especially if he will be fighting again tonight."

If it was possible for Steve's expression to become colder, it did. "About that . . . Danny won't be fighting tonight."

Xander's smile grew. "Oh really. If that's the case . . ."

A heavily armed man grabbed Steve and forced him to the floor, the other coming forward and pointing his gun towards Steve's head.

"Stop!"

All heads turned towards the small living area where Danny stood, leaning against the wall. He was coherent but unsteady. Steve immediately felt the compulsion to go to him but was unable to do so.

Xander's smile grew even more. Danny really hated that smile. "Ah! Detective Williams! I'm so glad that you're awake! How are you feeling? You look hungry, too. But I'm glad to see that you are for the most part unharmed. There is still some more fights to do. Correct, Detective?"

For the first time since he arrived, the smallest bit of malice was present in his eyes, a silent change that proved what Danny had known all along. This man was dangerous. "Correct."

The armed men let Steve go and stepped back, allowing him to stand up and go to his partner's side. "Who will Danny be fighting tonight?" He asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

Xander smiled. "We call him ribs. He's 6'3" and 215 pounds. This should be quite an interesting fight."

Before Xander could leave, Danny asked, "Why is he called Ribs?"

Xander turned around and smiled. Steve was also getting really tired of that smile and wanted to wipe it permanently from his face. "Because he breaks the ribs of every man he fights."

Steve had eyes only for Danny as Xander walked out of the room, promising to send food later. Danny had gone pale when he mentioned the reason behind the name, but pulled himself together remarkably well. "Glad I found that out."

Steve followed Danny as Danny went over to a bench. The smaller man sat down and put his head in his hands. Silence reigned for a few minutes, Steve unwilling to break his friends contemplative silence. "Danny-."

Danny raised one hand, pulling it away from his face and holding it in Steve's general direction. "Don't. Just don't." Standing suddenly, he faced his partners, eyes alive with anger. "What was that?! If I hadn't woken when I did, you'd have a bullet in your head and I would still have to fight!"

"Danny, I swear. I didn't know that Xander would react like that! I thought he might listen to reason! Put me in the fight tonight instead." Steve was sincere in his motives and his partner saw that, sighing and collapsing back onto the bench.

"I woke up, heard the commotion, and there you were, on your knees, a gun pressed to your head. I thought . . . I thought it was too late. I was so afraid that they were going to kill you." Danny's voice cracked and realization came into his eyes. "That's how you feel, isn't it?"

The explanation of _when I'm in the ring_ was unspoken and Steve sat down next to his partner, nodding. "I feel guilty for every single punch, boo-boo."

Danny let the affectionate name slide and looked at his partner. "By the way . . . Thank you."

Steve looked confused as he looked at his partner. "For what?"

Danny smiled for the first time in awhile. "For being there."

Giving the smaller man's knee a gentle thump, he returned the smile and said, "Always."

Their moment was interrupted by a man carrying a large pot, around 36 quarts. He set the pot down on the counter next to the fridge and gestured towards the cabinets above before leaving the room. Steve and Danny instantly smelled the food and rushed over to the pot. Danny got there first and lifted the lid on the pot, inhaling the fumes.

"Well, it's not as good as my moms lasagna, but it's better than your microwaved eggs," Danny said, looking into the pot of stew. He could see bits of pork and rice next to carrots and some other unrecognizable vegetable, all floating around in a small amount of broth. He felt Steve at his back, reaching over his head in order to retrieve bowls from the top cupboard.

"You really gotta let that go, Danno. It was one time," he said, pulling down plates and spoons. He was amazed that the hell hole was so well stocked.

"One time is enough for a lifetime, Steven." Turning around, he allowed Steve access to the pot. Steve lifted measures of stew into the bowls, plopped a spoon in each and passed his partner one of them. Looking around, they both shrugged and sat where they were standing, leaning against the counter that the soup sat upon. They ate in silence for a few minutes, savoring the food. It wasn't that it was particularly good, but it was food and it was lukewarm and they were both hungry.

Looking over at his blonde counterpart, he asked quietly, "How's the hand?"

Danny glanced at his knuckles and responded. "Sore. But they'll be ok."

"That's good," Steve said, eating another spoonful of soup. The silence was comfortable as they sat together, hips and shoulders touching. They never were very concerned about boundaries and it was especially true now.

They finished off their bowls quickly and placed them on either side of themselves, relaxing against the cabinets. The SEAL glanced over at his partner and said quietly, "You should really try to get some more sleep. You still look exhausted."

Danny nodded. "Alright." Slouching down against the cabinets, he tried not to think about where he was, but instead focused on the warm body next to him.

Steve waited several minutes until his partner calmed down and slightly startled when something thumped onto his shoulder. Looking over, he got a face full of blonde hair. Relaxing, he kept watch over his slumbering partner and mentally prepared himself for what was to come later.

* * *

The rest of the day had been spent in mundane conversation and relaxation, both partners dreading what was to come. However, now it was 6 o'clock, which meant that they would be calling on Danny anytime to fight. Steve had reminded Danny several times on how to protect his ribs, which Danny had taken with patience every single time (even though he already knew how to do it) because he knew that his partner was scared, and was currently wrapping the smaller man's hands. They had discovered some boxing hand wrap in one of the cupboards and Steve had nearly burst with joy.

"Now remember, Danny. Keep your elbows low. And if he starts to work your abdomen, drop your arms. Break his wrists." Steve said, finishing up the wrap and checking his work to make sure the wrap was tight.

Danny nodded, smiling tightly up at his friend. "I know, Steve. Thanks."

Steve shook his head. "Don't thank me. Just . . . be careful. You've taken on bigger people than this."

Danny's smile grew as he listened to his partner's pep talk. Steve McGarrett was a good man . . . No. He was a great man, and no one would ever be able to convince Danny of anything contrary to that fact. Everyone always spoke of Steve's father like he was the greatest man to ever live, but these people obviously didn't know Steve McGarrett like he did. Didn't know that the man would drop everything to go and help people that he had never met, and had done that. He'd served. He had sweat and bled for people that he had never met and there were people out there that didn't appreciate or respect him for it. And the part that made Steve an exceptional human being: he didn't care. He hadn't joined the military in order to get praise and thanks. He had joined because that was just what you did and that was just who he was. And Danny loved him for that.

Steve looked down at his partner and thought about his friend. Detective Daniel Williams: father, police officer, and best friend. Brother. Steve's brother. Sure he had his problems, but didn't everyone? Even after everything he'd been through, some of which were Steve's fault, he had never betrayed who he was and who he was loyal too. His family, his ohana. He would do anything for these people and he would do anything for his daughter especially. Look at the reason that he was a police officer to begin with. He didn't want his daughter to grow up in a dangerous world. He wanted to make the world a safer place for his little "monkey". And Steve loved him for that.

"Don't worry, babe. I'll be with you the entire time."

Danny smiled up at him, but the smile disappeared as the door opened and a man stepped through.

"Time to fight, shortstop."

Danny visibly bristled at the derogatory name, the second time that this man had called him something disrespectful, and stood, slowly making his way towards the door. Pausing in front of the man, he swung like lightning and sent the man to the floor. As the man recovered, his eyes filled with hatred and anger and he rounded on Danny, only for Steve to step in between him and his partner.

"Woh woh woh! You are forcing him to fight, aren't you? And your boss wouldn't be too happy if you damaged the goods." Steve was the one smiling now.

The man seemed to consider his options before swinging the butt of his gun in Steve's direction. Steve caught it directly to the cheek bone and went down, springing up quickly to hold Danny back, physically wrapping his arms around his partner's waist and pushing him in the opposite direction. His vision was blurry and he could feel blood dripping down his cheek, but his grip was firm and his strength held. "Danny, it's ok. We're even. Calm down."

Danny slowly calmed and shrugged off Steve's grip, allowing the man with the gun to push him towards the ring. Steve shot a threatening look at the man and followed Danny, standing in between of the man and Danny.

They once more exited out into the pit and looked into the ring at the man standing there. He was even bigger and meaner than the night before. They were both separated and Danny was pushed roughly into the ring. There was no delay in the fight like the night before, no time for Danny to get his bearings. The man came forward instantly and was immediately sending uppercuts at Danny. Danny protected his rib cage, waited for an opening and then shot a fist forward, catching the man in the jaw. His head snapped back but he came forward again, going at Danny's face and abdomen.

Steve was too stunned and anxious to speak or cheer on his partner, simply gripping the metal chain link fence and looking in on his partner. He could feel the blood cooling and solidifying on his cheek, but he didn't bother with it, his eyes glued to the barbarous display in front of him.

Danny could only block so much and was now completely on the defensive, doing everything physically possible in order to get some space in between him and Ribs. He pushed him away and sent wild punches to the man's face, but every single hit seemed to do nothing. Finally, in a desperate attempt to make some kind of dent, Danny ran at the man, shoulder down, hoping to knock the man off his feet, and wrapped his arms around the man's waist. This move would've worked in a real life fight, but this fight in a controlled environment allowed the man to be ready for it and to brace himself. He grabbed the detective and sent knee after knee into Danny's abdomen. Eventually, he stopped and hauled a very unsteady Danny upright. He held the smaller man mercilessly by the shoulder and sent one bone crushing uppercut into Danny's abdomen. Danny immediately crumpled, falling as soon as the man released him. His breathing was ragged and he was covered in sweat. His arm wrapped around his stomach and pleadingly looked in Steve's direction.

Steve could only look at his partner, trying to communicate thousands of words in a simple look. Glancing towards his partner's opponent, he watched the man circle his friend before smiling and turning around to finish the cop off.

* * *

 **How was it? I hope it was ok. I really struggled with this chapter and trying to make it just right. I hope that everyone enjoyed it and have a great week (if I don't see you later)!**

 **P.S. Who is excited for the _Man From U.N.C.L.E._ movie?! I am! It's based off of one of my favorite bromance filled TV shows and I hope that Guy Ritchie will keep it true to the original show! He made the new _Sherlock Holmes_ movies so I have faith in him! YAY FOR BROMANCE! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. Sorry about the long wait. I thought it wouldn't take too long to write this chapter, but my friend left for college on Saturday and it was really hard. I surprised her, with her boyfriend, and we woke her up, literally, at 7:15 in the morning. It was really hard to watch her leave, but at least I got to say goodbye. As I've said in previous chapters, this summer has been really hard.**

 **I digress, this chapter was a hard one to write, surprisingly. I was constantly questioning my grasp of the characters, but I think I've got it. I hope it's good.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or it's characters. If I did, things would be quiet different and I would know Scott Caan. ;)**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

Danny couldn't seem to draw in a proper breath. His ribs felt like they had been con caved in on his lungs and it hurt just thinking about taking air in. He looked over at his partner, pleading with him even though he knew that there was nothing that Steve could do to help him. However, the sheer fact that Steve was there, gripping the fence tightly as if trying to breach the space that divided them was enough for Danny to get back up and face his attacker.

The giant swung a fist just as Danny stood up and the shorter man was barely able to avoid it. He ducked and swung his own fist, connecting with the man's nose. Blood spurt and Danny swung again, fighting dirty in order to survive. He wasn't going to give the fighter any time to recover from now on. This time, he connected with the man's eye. He swung again, and again, and again. He connected with the fighter's cheek, jaw, and temple. He was just beginning to believe that he would be able to come out of this fight alive when Ribs ducked one of his punches and dove towards him, wrapping his arms around Danny's torso and beginning to squeeze with unrelenting pressure.

The world exploded in white as pain erupted in Danny's ribs and he felt something in his chest give. He kicked and punched mercilessly, doing everything that he could think of that would cause the man to let go. Chopping downwards, Danny connected with the back of Ribs' neck and was rewarded with being dropped to the ground. The fighter was shaking his head and stumbling around, looking completely unsteady and confused. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Danny brought a knee up into the hunched man's face. Ribs fell back then, his eyes closed. Danny sighed and staggered before falling to the ground, coughing. His ribs felt like someone had put him in a wine press. The world was spinning and Danny looked towards his partner once more as "boos" rained down upon him.

* * *

Steve watched the end of the fight and literally cheered, throwing a fist up in the air for Danny as he watched the massive man fall. But the joy was quickly over-run by fear as he watched Danny go down and start to cough, his arm once more wrapped around his chest. It was unbearable to simply stand there and watch and Steve bolted for the gate, only to be stopped by two heavily armed men. They held him back until Xander came forward.

"Allow your partner to come to you, Commander. We wouldn't want to make him look weak now." The words were cold as ice, even with the trace of sarcasm inside. A shiver ran down Steve's spine but he was too focused on his partner to pay any heed to it. Danny needed help.

But Danny was already up and stumbling towards the gate. The men continued to hold Steve back as they slowly made their way back to the locker room. Trash rained down once more, but Danny didn't care. He seemed to be focused on something as he limped back under the cover of the tunnels. Steve continued to try and fight his way towards Danny, but the guards kept pushing him back. Finally, they were allowed in the locker room and Danny continued to limp forward until he was leaning against the end of the lockers.

The behavior scared Steve. Danny hadn't turned around once and it frightened the Navy SEAL. The man who had endured physical pain and war and trauma was afraid of the silence of one man. But his one man was different. This was Danny and Danny was never silent. He was always vocal in either body or voice. But he was silent now.

Stopping about 6 feet away from his best friend, Steve gently asked, "Danny? You with me, babe?"

Steve watched as Danny slowly looked over his shoulder at him and could've cried. Danny's eyes held agony and fear and it hurt Steve to see his partner like that. No. It _killed_ Steve to see his partner like that. Suddenly, Danny's eyes rolled back in his head and he started to fall backwards, as his knees gave out. Steve rushed forwards and caught Danny in his arms, gently lowering the fallen man to the floor. Danny was shaking and his eyes peeled themselves open slowly. Their eyes locked and Steve couldn't think of anything to do but to pull Danny against his chest and hold him there, hugging him gently against his chest as the tremors wracked his frame.

Steve fought with himself for several minutes as he debated ever letting his partner go. A part of him knew that he needed to in order to check his friend over, but another part of him never wanted to because he was afraid that Danny would be taken away from him if he did. It was a fierce and savage war, but it ended in Steve gently laying Danny on the ground and grabbing his face in between his hands, forcing Danny to look up at him with fear stricken eyes.

"Danny. Danny, calm down. I've got you, you hear me? I've got you, buddy. It's going to be ok. Please. Listen to me. I've gotta check the damage. It's going to hurt, but I need you to stay with me, ok? You hear me, buddy?" Steve said, never removing his hands from where they held Danny's head still. He hoped the warmth and gentle touch would bring his partner back from the panicked brink that he was currently tottering on.

Danny focused on Steve, anchored himself in the hazel eyes of his partner and friend. He nodded, shakily at first, but the nod became stronger as he went.

Finally, Steve felt like his partner understood what he had said and removed his hands, moving down to Danny's torso. He started to gently probe, delicately moving his fingers over his partner's rib cage and feeling the cracks that resided there. Danny, for his part, tried to stay as still as possible, clenching his teeth and fisting his hands. Eventually, Steve was done and he grabbed Danny's hands, holding them in his own. They were bleeding and bruised and Steve worried that he was hurting his brother, but every time he tried to let go, Danny just gripped him tighter.

While he loved the fact that Danny was now looking at him and breathing easier than before, the silence still unnerved him. "Danny?" he asked quietly, just trying to draw his friend's attention. "Please, man. Just say something. Anything. This silence is killing me."

Danny smiled. "I'm going to quote you on that later."

A moment or two passed by while the police officers looked at each other, before they both started to laugh. Steve's laugh was unrestrained and the release of some emotion other than fear or anger felt good, while Danny's laugh was slightly interspersed with pain grimaces and coughs. At last, they both settled down enough to catch a few good breaths and get down to business.

Steve's smile disappeared and he looked thoughtfully at his partner. "How are you doin', buddy?"

"Well," Danny began, wincing as he tried to stretch and then thought better of it, "I feel like I was hit by a Mack Truck and then fed to a meat grinder just to make sure the job was done, but, other than that, I'm alright." He looked up at Steve and his eyes narrowed in concern as he surveyed his partner. "You alright, babe? You don't look too hot."

Steve gave a chuckle and was about to come back with something, but he seemed to think better of it and sighed, leaning back on his heels and running a hand through his hair. The honest answer spilled out before he could think of a better one. "I'm scared, Danny. I'm so scared. I've never been more scared in my life. Having to watch you fight in that ring and not being able to do anything to help . . . It's killing me, buddy."

Danny nodded and reached over, taking Steve's hand in his own. "I'm scared, too. But we're going to get out of here. Some way or another. Kono and Chin have to be looking for us by now. We'll just wait, for once, until the cavalry arrives."

Steve smiled, squeezing his partner's hand, and they both relaxed for a few moments, enjoying each other's presence. Neither was sure how much longer that would last.

However, Steve's smile slowly fell and he relinquished his grip on Danny's hand in order to get up and go to the first aid kit. "I gotta tape those ribs, Danny. You need time to rest and you can't rest if you're in pain. This'll help."

Danny nodded and slowly began to sit up. "I was hoping you would forget." He groaned as he sat up, his rate of breathing increasing as his vision swam. He had broken out in a cold sweat and only made it half way before he couldn't do it and began to fall backwards again. Steve arrived at that moment and caught him, preventing a bone rattling fall back to the floor. All they were trying to do was get Danny to sit up and it was agony. Once he was sitting up, Danny asked, "So, what's the damage?"

Steve's hands were busy with the rib tape as he spoke. "You got at least three cracked ribs in there. I can't tell anything beyond that. For now, though, I just want to want to stabilize them." Steve went to work then on the buttons of Danny's shirt, helping Danny shrug out of it once he was done. Pain creased the Jersian's brow and Steve knew that this was going to be hard. For Danny and for him. He was barely holding himself together with the black and blue bruising all over Danny's side. "Ready to do this?"

Danny didn't even speak, simply nodding as he braced himself against the locker he was leaning against.

Steve got busy, quickly taping the ribs and applying the bare minimum pressure that was required for the job. Every groan and intake of breath felt like a stab wound to Steve heart and he thanked God when he was finally done. Danny was shaking again and sweat was beaded on his forehead. Steve grimaced and managed to get his partner back into his shirt and then pulled him back against his chest.

Danny's skin was clammy and pale. However, Steve was reassured that Danny was at least holding in there when his arms wrapped up around Steve's back and clenched into the fabric of Steve's shirt.

"I know, Danny," Steve said, wrapping a warm hand up around the back of Danny's neck and gently running a thumb over his shaking muscles. "I know. But it's gonna be alright. I've got you now. It's gonna be alright." Steve hoped to God that he wasn't lying.

* * *

 **How was it? I hope it was good. Please tell me with a review! Also, if anyone knows when the new season starts, feel free to tell me. I don't know how much longer I can wait!**

 **Have a great week if I don't see you again.**

* * *

 **P.S. I saw the new movie _The Man From U.N.C.L.E._ over the weekend. IT WAS AWESOME! They got the bromance right, based upon the old 1960s show, (which was what I was afraid they wouldn't do well with), and the actors appeared to have studied the characters really well. They even captured some of the mannerisms! It was awesome. 10/10 would recommend. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Sorry about the super long wait. I'm in college now and I've been horrendously busy, not just with studying, but with paying for my education. I'm in 3 bands and when I'm not in music, I'm studying or working a part time job. I wrote this one free morning that I had. YAY FOR FREE TIME! :)**

 **(Warning: spoilers. Skip past this if you don't want to know.)**

 **Season 6 has been . . . interesting. Besides the bad science, I'm not sure that I like where they have taken the characters. And why can't Kono and Adam catch a break!? What's with that? Dumb. And now that Catherine's left . . . again. While that makes me very happy, there better be some Steve and Danny bonding, because this will totally mess the SEAL up. On that topic though, of Steve and Danny, I'm really happy with the boat conversation and the fact that Danny confronted Catherine about what she's been doing to Steve. It seemed so much more in character than the happy outburst we saw earlier from Danny. It seemed fake and forced.**

 **I digress. Just my thoughts. If anyone wants to talk, feel free to PM me, but I'll get to the story now.**

 **I rewrote this chapter probably 3 times, but I think I got it now. This chapter was partially influenced by the story "What's the Score?" by Phoebe Miller. Call it a response or an add on or just my thoughts. Whatever, I read their story, thought it was wonderful, wrote this and thought that I should put this little note in because I do not in any way condone the stealing of thoughts/plagiarism.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or it's characters. If I did . . . So much would be different.**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

The first thing that Steve noticed when he woke up was a stickiness on his cheek. He was slowly reminded him of the blow to the face he had taken and he realized that he had forgotten to take care of the damage in all of his worry for Danny. _Speaking of Danny . . ._

He wasn't surprised, when he finally opened his eyes, to find Danny curled into his side, protectively ensconced in his arm. More bruising had appeared on his partner during the night, or what he assumed was night, and he had a pretty impressive looking bruise on his cheek and jaw. There were few things that were as painful as waking up with cracked ribs, but Steve knew that he needed to wake his partner up. He'd been asleep for too long and Steve was still afraid that his brother may have a concussion.

Using his free hand, he began to gently pat his friend's leg. It was the only part of the Jersian that Steve didn't think was bruised to hell. "Danny. Danny, come on. Time to wake up. You gotta wake up. Danny."

Blue eyes slowly fluttered open and Steve smiled down at his partner, who looked both confused and exhausted. "Steve?"

"Yeah, buddy. Don't move too quick. You've got some cracked ribs." Knowing that his partner was going to try anyways, Steve placed his hands on his partner's shoulder, pinning him effectively to the ground without causing any more pain or damage. Just as he had known, he felt the muscles under his hand tighten and then relax as Danny realized that he wasn't going anywhere. "How you feeling?"

Getting the idea that moving was a bad idea, Danny relaxed and decided that looking up at his partner was good enough for him for now. "Sore. Like I was hit by a car. And hungry."

Steve smiled. _He can't be too hurt if he's still thinking about his stomach._ Besides, it was a good sign if Danny was hungry. "There might be some soup over there. Warning, it'll probably be cold."

Danny shook his head and waved a hand towards his partner's face, dismissing the problem. "I've had worse. You're microwave eggs, for one."

Steve smiled, as he bent down, putting an arm behind his partner's back and receiving a nod to continue. "They honestly weren't that bad, Danny." He gently eased Danny up into a sitting position, moving slowly and doing most of the work, so that Danny wouldn't have to stress his abused muscles. Still his partner gasped in pain and went white, head lolling against Steve's shoulder. The SEAL paused in his movement up and held Danny there for a few moment, allowing the detective to gasp in a few breaths and orientate himself with this new position. Causing Danny to pass out would help neither of them.

He knew that Danny was ready to move again when he nodded against his shoulder and said, "Steve, they were awful. I admit, the smell was worse than the taste, but they were still pretty horrible."

Pulling his partner gently to his feet, Steve replied, "Remember that casserole that nearly burnt down my house? That was worse than my eggs."

"It would've been wonderful if you hadn't thrown flame retardant on it."

Together, they slowly walked back into the makeshift kitchen, were Steve deposited his partner gently on a locker room bench and went over to the cold stew. He ran the ladle around it a few times before deeming that it was edible and putting down large portions into the bowls. There were no new bowls or spoons, so they had to use the ones that they had already used, but Steve had seen worse things and he knew that using a dirty spoon would be the least of Danny's problems. Turning back towards his bruised partner, he saw him for the first time far away.

Danny was a mix of pale and rainbow, collecting all shades of red, purple, and blue. His eyes were filled with pain and his shoulders were slumped, undoubtedly from the pain that he was constantly feeling. The only thing that gave Steve any feeling of hope was that his eyes were bright with determination. Guilt was enjoying its home in his stomach, though, as he couldn't help but think that part of this was his fault.

Danny did the same thing as his partner turned back to him and looked him up and down, gauging just what kind of condition Steve was in. Steve looked tired. There wasn't a way to sugar coat it and it simply came down to that fact. He looked exhausted. Stress lines had appeared on his face and dark bags hung under his eyes. There was a slight tremor in his hands and Danny knew, from personal experience, that it was caused by a mix of the stress and exhaustion. And then Danny saw it. The guilt. It was plain as day in Steve's eyes even though he was trying to hide it. Steve could never hide anything from Danny. He knew him that well.

Steve walked back to his friend and passed him the bowl of cold sludge. Danny took it, but continued to watch him, not taking his eyes away from Steve's. Steve looked away self-consciously, knowing that Danny knew what he was thinking. Danny always seemed to know what he was thinking. "What?" He still asked, hoping that it would cause Danny to drop it.

"Stop." Danny said, gently but firmly. Steve simply looked at him, feigning confusion. "You can't do this to yourself, Steve. It's, in no way, your fault."

"But it is, Danny," Steve said. He was tired of it all. The dancing around topics, the arguing to cover up true feelings, the cycle of it all. He was tired. It was time to say what needed to be said and break the rotation. "It is my fault. Everything is my fault."

Danny knew that words were useless at this point and wasted, so he simply sat quietly and waited for his partner to continue. That's what was needed. Steve just needed someone to sit there and listen. That's all he needed most of the time, but no one was willing to give that to him, except Danny. The only problem was that Steve didn't want to burden his friend. He didn't understand that his problems were Danny's problems.

"It's all my fault. You getting shot, trapped, beaten, and you being here right now. It's all my fault. It's always been my fault." Steve said, staring into the depths of the stew. "If I hadn't come to your door, 5 years, and 20 days ago, this never would've happened. This is all my fault, Danny. It's always been my fault. Everything that's happened to you. I'm so sorry." He couldn't bear to look up at his partner, so he didn't see the look of anger on his face.

"You're right, Steven J. McGarrett." This caused Steve to look up in surprise. "You're absolutely right. You knocked on my door and dragged me into your stupid case, called me your partner. An hour later, I got shot." His eyes softened, revealing what had been building under the anger, and that was hope and friendship; a friendship so powerful that it was love. Steve saw this and tears sprang to his eyes. "But 5 years and 20 days later, I wouldn't have it any other way, Steve. You're my partner and my best friend. Do you know why Grace calls you Uncle Steve. It's definitely not because of Rachel. It's because you're my brother. And I would follow you anywhere, with some mild complaining, of course, but that's not the point. Face it, Steve. 5 years and 20 days ago, I was stuck with you, but now, you're stuck with me."

Steve didn't even know how to react. He didn't know what to say. It had finally happened. All the arguing and all the fights had led up to this moment, a moment when they would talk for real. They spoke a lot, but they didn't actually **talk**. Now, they had and, more importantly, they had listened.

However, Steve was very grateful when Danny smiled one last time at him before turning to his stew and taking a mouthful. "Guh, this is awful."

Looking at his stew, he swirled his spoon through it, the smile never leaving his face. "Worse than my eggs?"

"Nothing is worse than your eggs, babe. Just face it."

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 **How was it? I hope it was alright. Please tell me with a review! I'll post another chapter as soon as possible, but I don't know when that will be. Have a great weekend!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! First off, I would like to apologize for the massive gap between updates. I finally got a new job and I've been working when I haven't been going to school. However, I managed to get just a little bit of time to write this.**

 **My second apology is because there isn't any real whump in this chapter either. Sorry, just hard-core bromance. I hope everyone enjoys it all the same.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was time. They both knew it. They hadn't had any more visits from Xander, so the suspense of who the next fighter was was wearing on both of them.

Steve couldn't seem to stop pacing. His hands were clasped behind his back and the floor probably had a hole in it from the number of times that he had stalked back and forth. He kept glancing at Danny. His partner was still sat on the bench where he had been sitting all day. A couple of times, he had stood up and limped around, wincing as he moved his damaged ACL and stretched his bruised muscles. The SEAL had to fight down the impulse to rush to his side and help his partner every time he stood up. For one, he wouldn't be able to help Danny in the fight, and, two, he knew his partner and autonomy was a big thing for the Jersey native.

Steve shivered. Just thinking about the next fight made him want to be sick. His partner was in no condition to fight and he knew that if Danny went into that ring, there was a high probability that he would . . . not come back out.

He stopped his pacing at that thought. Looking over his shoulder, he gazed at his friend. After all the disagreements and drama that had been occurring between them, it had felt like he was almost losing his partner, but, after that discussion today, he felt like they were finally a united front again; like they were finally friends again. He didn't want to lose that. He couldn't lose that. Steve would rather die than lose Daniel Williams.

Danny, for his part, was sitting nervously on the bench. He couldn't seem to build up enough strength to pace like his partner was. _Speaking of partner,_ _that man has got to sit down. He's making me dizzy._ "Steve, come on, babe. Sit down. You're making me sea sick. I mean, I know you're in the Navy and all, but . . ."

Steve couldn't help but smile. He really didn't feel like it, but his partner had the effect of making him smile when he seemed to be drowning in stress. "You actually got it right, for once."

The Jersian shrugged. "Must've been a slip of the tongue."

Steve nodded, sitting down next to his partner as his smile slowly faded. "Yeah. Must have." He looked over at his partner as his partner looked over at him. They both knew that Danny could be called at any moment and they simply basked in the glow of their friendship. "Danny," he began, no noticing that he and Danny's knees were touching, "this fight . . . you . . . it's just . . ."

"I know," Danny said, allowing some of the fear to peek through his eyes. "I'm afraid that if I go into that ring, I won't be coming back out."

Steve was immediately on the floor, kneeling in front of him. "Danny, don't-."

"Don't try to sugar coat it, Steve. I'm an adult. I know myself. I know how much I can take." He rubbed his hands together, trying to get some kind of warmth back into them. "I think this is going to be my last fight."

Steve was about to say something when the door opened, allowing Xander to walk in, smiling and rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Good day, Five-O. It's time to fight."

Steve stood and blocked his partner from Xander's view, snarling and, once again, about to say something very rude when Danny spoke up.

"About that," Danny interrupted, standing suddenly and stepping in front of Steve. The image would have been comical had it not been for the serious nature of the confrontation. Danny was at least a head shorter than Steve, but there he was, taking up the missing space with his personality and protecting his partner with his bruised and battered body. He would put himself between Steve and instant death until he had spoken his piece. (Even after that he would still protect him.) "I wanna discuss a new arrangement."

Xander's smile changed in nature, becoming more insidious. "Very well, detective. I suppose you've earned that much."

"If I win this fight, my partner and I are allowed to leave." Danny's voice was steady and his eyes shone with confidence and strength.

Xander nodded, eyes distant with thought. "You'll have to leave the compound unaided. If you can't make it, you're partner will have to make the decision of dying with you or leaving you behind."

Steve tried to cut in, but Danny interrupted him . . . AGAIN. "Fine."

"Of course, I'll have to make this fight more difficult than the one's before. If you are getting such a large reward like your freedom, I'm gonna have to make this fight _vicious_."

"Danny-." Steve's hand gripped Danny's arm, but the detective shook it off.

"Fine." This one was tighter than the first, since he was speaking through his teeth.

"And, if you lose, I keep you alive long enough to watch your partner die." Xander's smile grew as Danny let in a sharp intake of air. This time, he didn't shake off Steve's grip as he grabbed his arm again.

His breathing had quickened and Steve was whispering his name. Suddenly, he was back in that basement, looking at a barrel full of what was left of his brother. Steve was there, too, whispering his name over and over again. He had been there. It seemed that the pesky SEAL was always there when Danny really needed him. He was his anchor, his pillar of cargo pant clad strength. The Jersey detective didn't know where he would be without the loyal man.

In that moment, Danny knew what he needed to do.

Looking at the twisted man before him, Danny responded, "Then I won't lose."

"Ahh! I love a confident fighter. I'll leave you to prepare. I have some adjustments to make."

As soon as he and his goons had left, Steve spun Danny around, ignoring the wince that light up his partner's feature. "Danny! No! You can't do this!"

"You're absolutely right. I can't do this. I can't keep fighting. I need to end it as soon as possible and get up out of here." His face fell and Steve's grip loosened, but he didn't break the contact. "Steve . . . If I go on, I will lose. It's only a matter of time. And when I lose, you die. If I can win this fight, no matter how brutal, no matter the shape I'm in when I leave that ring, if I can win . . . you'll live. And that's enough incentive for me."

Steve didn't even know what he was doing, but, suddenly, Danny was in his arms. He could feel the shorter man's heart beating and he relished the steady thump-ing. Closing his eyes, he simply breathed with his partner. Neither of them smelled particularly good, but it didn't matter, because they smelt like each other. Still with closed eyes, Steve said, "You better win, Daniel Williams, because, if you don't, I'll kill you myself."

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 **How was it? I hope it was alright. I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible. I've started writing everything in a notebook first, which is more portable, so hopefully it will be up sooner rather than later. Thanks for reading!**

 **P.S. Who's excited for the episode coming up with Danny and Steve and the couples retreat because I am! I can't wait!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone! How's everybody doing? I want to apologize for such a long wait on all of my stories. Real life has been super busy and family dilemmas only add to the mayhem. I hope everyone will forgive me for the long wait and I offer up this super long chapter as a penance for it. I would say that I forced myself to write a super long chapter for you guys, but I actually just sat down to write this chapter and next thing I know, it's twice as long as normal! Oops. But I don't think anyone will complain about the length. ;)**

 **I really hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. It was kind of hard to write just because of all the action and the descriptions of everything. I had a plan and I wanted to do it justice.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or it's characters. I simply borrow them for the purpose of whump and brotherly affection.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The fight arena was alight with noise. People shouting and waving money in the air as the _pig_ walked into the area. It was more of a limp, but Danny was trying to hide how severe it actually was. Steve was behind him by a step, that was the closest the guards would let him get, and he tried to exude confidence and strength. His partner needed that from him right now. He didn't need what Steve was actually feeling: fear, trepidation, anxiety, barely concealed rage mixed with a spoonful of panic. That would definitely not help Danny.

As Danny neared the chain-link door, one of Xander's thugs pushed him, causing him to fall and roll. Steve saw the pain this caused, but only because he knew Danny. His little Jersey native did a remarkable job of hiding it from the rest of the world.

Xander came through the chain-link door next, another man behind him carrying a wooden box. He set the box in the middle and Xander climbed on top, holding his hands above his head until the noise died down and he could speak. "My friends! Thank you for coming today! I have a feeling that this fight is going to be something you simply can't miss. Five-O Detective Danny Williams, who has been our guest for these past few days, is going to grace us with one last fight!" Cheers erupted and Steve's hands clasped onto the metal links of the fence. He would give anything to be in the ring with his partner; to be there to protect him and fight by his side. "Because he will be leaving us, I have decided to make this fight the best of them all. The challenger to Detective Williams is," he paused for affect, "Eddie!"

The arena erupted into noise, louder than before, as a man walked out. He couldn't have been taller than Steve and he actually looked similar in stature. This terrified Steve. He knew the full extent of what he was capable of. He knew that if, God forbid for some unknown reason, he and Danny were to get in a knock-down, drag out fight, he would be capable of seriously injuring his detective.

Danny didn't seem to share his fear. He actually breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly. He seemed to think that the familiarity of size would mean an easier time for him.

Then things got interesting.

Xander motioned for the man to pick up the box and hold it while he opened the lid and pulled two knives out. "A fight," he yelled to the crowd, once again pausing in the middle for more dramatic effect, "to the death!" He emphasized his final statement by throwing the knives down into the ground and exiting the ring. The moment the gate door closed, Eddie was all business, no longer smiling and waving at the crowd like he had been, but, instead, staring at Danny from a hunched over position, like a wild cat getting ready to bolt forward and take down prey.

Sobering up and hiding/ignoring the pain he was feeling, Danny mirrored the man, slowly realizing that there would have to be a reason that Xander chose this man for Danny's final fight.

Steve watched from outside the ring as the two men stared each other down, waiting for someone to blink. Eddie moved first, in a burst of speed, as he bolted forward towards the closer of the two knives. Danny did the same, but his injuries hindered his speed and he was unable to get to his knife before Eddie. The other fighter grabbed his knife and yanked it out of the ground, swiping at Danny as he neared and causing the detective to jump backwards to avoid the knife. Eddie jumped forward and swiped again, his movements quick and precise. Danny stumbled as he moved backward and fell, scuttling backwards on his hands. He spun up onto his feet and tried to avoid the knife again, but he wasn't fast enough this time, and it slashed his arm, causing blood to run down his arm and drip off the back of his hand.

When Eddie swiped again, Danny didn't try and duck, this time staying where he was and catching the man's arm as it came towards him. He threw a punch and caught the man in the jaw, throwing another one and catching him in the abdomen. Eddie caught the third punch and grabbed Danny's arm, using it to fling the smaller man across the ring. Danny rolled to a stop and scrambled on his hands and knees towards the knife still stuck in the dirt. He grabbed it and went back to his feet, facing the larger man with a knife of his own now. They circled for a few moments, each brandishing their knives and sizing each other up.

With no warning at all, Eddie ran forward, catching Danny around the middle and driving him to the ground. His knife forgotten he started on Danny's side, knuckles driving mercilessly into the already damaged bones. Danny tried to roll out from under the larger man, but he kept on grabbing him and yanking him back.

Steve watched helplessly from the sidelines as Danny was beaten. The agony was no longer hidden, but apparent on Danny's face and Steve's grip on the metal fence increased, turning his knuckles white and causing his palms to cry out in pain. The pain was no match for what Danny was feeling.

Danny's vision went between white with pain and gray with the threat of unconsciousness. He fought to hold onto his strength and raised a shaking arm, the one holding the knife. Seeing what he was looking for through the agony and fighting to protect his abdomen, he took his knife and slashed behind the man's knee, slicing his posterior cruciate ligament.

Eddie recoiled in pain, giving the detective the opportunity he needed to roll away and get back to his feet. He stumbled and fell back against the fence, watching as Eddie fought to regain his footing, blood soaking the back of his pants and soaking the dirt wherever he went.

The arm not holding his knife Danny wrapped around his abdomen. The other arm was out before him, brandishing the deadly, blood-stained blade. In an adrenaline infused act, Danny dashed forward in a blitzkrieg attack and stabbed at the man, sinking his knife deep into his leg. As he yanked it back out, blood flowed freely to the ground, signifying that Danny had hit exactly what he wanted to.

With a damaged ligament and a punctured artery, the man began to sway as his blood left his body at an alarming rate. He sank to a knee, and his eyelids began to droop.

Thinking the battle was won, Danny turned and looked at his partner, nodding. Steve was about to nod back when movement behind Danny alerted him that the threat was still present and his heart skipped a beat. "Danny!"

Danny spun around, but it was too late to avoid anything and, as the knife sailed towards him, he was unable to dodge it. It sank sickeningly into his chest and he fell back into the dirt with the force of a hit.

Steve wasn't breathing as he watched from the sidelines and his heart was hammering in his chest. All he could do was stare at his downed partner with a knife sticking from his chest. Steve felt like he had a matching one sunk in his heart. Weakly calling out, his voice sounded more like a croak than the deep timber that it was normally. "Danny? Danny, can you hear me? Come on, buddy. Get up. I can't come get you. I'm not able to. They'll kill you. You gotta get up on your own." He watched, still not breathing, and his heartbeat echoed in his ears. After what seemed like a lifetime, but was, in reality, only a few seconds, Danny moved, his leg coming up towards his abdomen. It helped to leverage him over and he rolled the opposite direction from Steve. Steve could only see his partner's back, slowly becoming covered in blood, and watched as he slowly got to his knees. He stayed there for awhile and blood dripped down into the dirt of the arena. The SEAL could see the tremors running through his body and he wanted so badly to break down the gate and run into the ring. Fear for his partner's safety, should he do that, though, kept him where he was. He couldn't risk anything. Danny had fought too hard. The evidence was plain behind him. Eddie was dead. That much was clear. Blood had soaked his leg and surrounded him. He wasn't breathing.

Danny was on his knees, watching his blood drip slowly into the dirt. The noises around him were all fading and his vision was no longer in color. A thought kept tugging at the back of his mind, though, causing him to fight to his feet. He knew it wasn't a good idea to pull the knife out of his shoulder, but he knew that if he didn't he wouldn't make it far. He needed to be able to move. Grabbing hold of the hilt, he took a deep breath and pulled, his vision graying out even more. He let the knife drop to the ground and acted on autopilot, turning towards the cage door.

When Steve saw Danny drop the knife on the ground, his fear ratcheted up a few notches. Danny was beaten, tired, and losing blood. Pulling out that knife wasn't going to help anything either. He understood why his partner did it, he just wished that there was another way. A way that didn't include his partner bleeding to death. What really scared him, though, was when his partner turned around. He had a blank but determined look in his eyes. He was on autopilot, moving without recognizing his body. Steve had seen it before, but never on the island of Hawaii; a supposedly tame place where savage acts didn't happen. He'd seen it in Afghanistan. He'd seen it in the eyes of soldiers that knew they were going to die but had to complete the mission. As soon as that mission was complete, they dropped and never got up again. Steve would be damned if he never saw Danny get up again.

His partner stumbled past him, looking at him and allowing the corner of his mouth to twitch up in a kind of smile. They walked, then, towards the large garage door like opening. Steve walked a few feet away, even though every single molecule of his existence pushed him towards his partner. He wanted to pull his partner close and rescue him from the predicament that they were currently facing, but he knew, if he did, that Danny would die. The pain Steve was feeling was far worse than any physical torture.

When they broke out into the sunlight, both Five-O men screwed their eyes tight. They'd been existing in the dim lighting of the fight club for the past three days. The sun, even in this stage of setting, was painful to their eyes.

Danny's vision was tunneled around the gate at the end of the courtyard and he felt a great rush of joy for every step that he took. Each step was closer to freedom. He had to save his partner and he preferred to die as a free man than as a man forced to fight.

Steve was not as thrilled. He waited for a gunshot with every step. He didn't trust Xander to keep his word and actually allow him and Danny to walk away. He would be so delighted if it was true and that he and Danny were going to get out, but there was a voice in the back of his mind that just told him not to get his hopes up. A smile almost broke out on his face at the thought. Normally, Danny was the negative thinker, but how the roles had reversed. Danny was protecting him, not being protected by him. The profoundness of Danny's actions was not lost on the Navy SEAL and he put his shoulders back and continued to follow his partner. He would follow this man before him through the valley of death if he had to. This was no different.

At last, they reached the gate. Steve stepped forward and opened it, pushing it open for his partner. He was careful not to touch him and the two stepped quickly through the gate. They paused outside and turned to look at where they had come from. Xander was standing just inside the garage door, hidden partially in shadow, but Steve could see the look of respect and admiration on his face. To be honest, he was a little shocked that the man had a shred of honor in his soul.

Xander raised a hand and saluted the two of them, standing in the same place as the garage door slowly lowered in front of him.

Before he was hidden from view, Danny repaid the salute with the bird, smiling triumphantly. His smile had to end, though, and it did as soon as the garage door hid them from view and Danny went limp. He dropped like a dead weight into Steve's worried arm's and wouldn't respond, no matter how frantically Steve called.

* * *

 **How was it? Please tell me with a review! I read every single one of them and really do appreciate them. I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but just stay tuned. I'm not giving up on any of my stories. I just may not update them for a long time. If anyone has any comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to PM me. I try to always respond!**

 **Thanks for reading and the best wishes to everyone!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello everyone! I hope that everyone is well. I will apologize first and foremost. I haven't updated in a very long time. Life has been really crazy, family is just all over the place, and I work all the time now. Last week, I barely had time to sleep. But this week is a little better. So, here we are.**

 **I have been totally uninspired by these most recent episodes, but empowered with some new information about the finale, I have a little bit of hope. I just can't understand the whole Kono/Adam storyline. Talk about pointless drama. Also, I hate the fact that they keep on making episodes focused on characters that I couldn't care less about and even make some episodes with NO DANNY! It's infuriating. Oh well. I'm desperately trying to hang in there.**

 **Huge thank you to everyone who has messaged me with just "how've you been"s. They mean so much. Thank you.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or any of it's characters. If I did, . . . So much would change.**

 **Texas50Fan, here's looking at you, kid.**

* * *

Steve's world was narrowed down to a pinpoint as he carried his load out of the road and into the cover of the forest. His heart was pounding in his ears. He was pretty sure that he was pleading, but he couldn't hear it. The skin against his hands was unnaturally warm and he knew that there was a fever raging somewhere.

Setting Danny down in the grass, he looked around frantically, calming himself just enough so that he could hear more than his frantically beating heart. He couldn't hear any trucks or voices, simply hearing the normal sounds of the forest, bird calls and leaves rustled by the wind. Returning his attention back to his fallen friend, he put a shaking finger against his partner's pulse point. Part of him didn't want to check. He just wanted to assume that his best friend was still alive, because if he wasn't . . .

Steve shook the thought from his head and pressed into the pulse point, waiting several seconds before a reassuring thump told him that Danny was indeed still with him. Breathing a sigh of relief, he couldn't help but pull his partner close to his chest and simply cradle him for a few moments, rocking back and forth in an attempt to comfort both of them. The warm stickiness of Danny's blood was what spurred him into action.

Steve reached into one of his many cargo pants pockets and pulled out several pieces of thick gauze and some tape. He had smuggled the supplies from the first aid kit earlier that day, preparing for the possibility that he was currently living. Opening Danny's shirt, he got a look at the knife wound in his friend's upper chest. It was large and ragged and his partner was losing blood frighteningly fast. He tore open the first packet and pressed a piece of clean linen against the bleeding wound, trying to staunch the flow. The gauze soaked quickly and he threw it away, ripping open another packet and pressing it down. This time, the bleeding slowed, but he still had to use a third gauze package before the wound slowed to a trickle. Moving on, he checked Danny's arm, seeing the gash up on his bicep. Looking down at his meager supplies, he frowned at the two gauze pads left. He decided that those would be more of a help for his chest and tore a strip of cloth from his shirt, tying it firmly around his Jersey native's arm. He knew that it wasn't ideal, but that it would have to hold for now. There was nothing he could do for his friend's broken ribs and he suspected that he also had internal bleeding based upon the discoloration forming on his abdomen.

Stifling a sob, Steve was confronted with the knowledge that he had seen hardened Navy SEALs die from much less than his partner was suffering. Danny's breaths were coming short, shallow, and slightly filled with fluid. All in all, his best friend was ringing death's doorbell.

Placing two warm, shaking hands on either side of his partner's face, he bent over and spoke slowly and clearly. "Danny Williams. I know you can hear me. It's your partner . . . It's me, Steve. I need you to hang on, ok? I just need you to stay with me. You gotta hang in there . . . for Grace and Charlie. They need their dad. They need you . . . You gotta stay with me. You can't leave me, D. I . . . I need you. So please. You got us out of there. Now it's my turn. I'm gonna take care of you, Danno. I'm gonna get you help. I've got you. Just hang in there. For me."

Collecting the last two remaining pieces of gauze, he stuffed them in his pockets and turned back to his partner. Placing a hand behind his back and a hand under his legs, Steve lifted his partner into his arms, standing unsteadily before moving off in the direction that he estimated was help. To only make his heart fall more, Danny didn't even groan when he lifted him.

Their journey towards the city was slow, as Steve decided that they should stay in the jungle and off the road. The rough terrain was difficult to navigate and was even harder when carrying 150 pounds worth of Jersey detective. He was determined though, and his determination turned into adrenaline. Traversing a fallen tree, he took a deep breath and said, "Jeez, partner, you've become very fond of those malasadas. But, when we make it through this," he said, attempting to practice what he preached about positive thinking, "I'll buy you a whole box of them." He walked over another rock and landed roughly, ignoring the pain in his joints from the rough treatment. He looked up at the sun and saw that an hour had passed, maybe two, since they had left the compound. Returning his attention to his path, he continued in his monologue. It seemed so odd for his voice to fill the void, rather than Danny's. He would empty his entire bank account right now if his partner would wake up and fill the void for him. "You know, I'm sure Grace and I would be happy if you joined us for a morning jog." He smiled and looked down at his unconscious charge. "That's a great kid you got there, buddy. She's smart and confident. And so much like you. She's got her father's firecracker nature." Coming to a ridge, Steve looked out and nearly cried with joy. Not too far away, he could see the skyline of the city. The Hawaii Hilton Hotel by the water shone like a beacon of hope that a hospital wasn't too far away. "Danny! We're not too far! Only about 5 miles! We should be there by the end of the day!"

He set off again at a brisk walk, too ecstatic to notice the slight trickle of blood dripping out of Danny's mouth.

* * *

Chin and Kono stood around the smart table, looking grimly at the information they had about where their fellow team-mates were. The information they had didn't help them. It was too little and gave them no clues as to where they could have been taken.

"Xander," Kono began, looking nervously at Chin, "is there any evidence that he would simply . . . kill them?"

Chin shook his head. "Xander's a business man. I don't think he would kill them. I think he might try to make some money off of them."

"Chin . . . They've been missing for 3 days. Do you think he . . . he sold them? They have a lot of enemies. We all do. Someone out there might pay a lot of money to get the chance to get rid of them."

Chin was about to answer when a call came in. It was from Duke. Chin answered it on the table. "Go ahead Duke."

"We found them!"

Chin could hardly believe it and Kono spoke first. "Say again, Duke?!"

"We found them! They were on the side of the road. A patrol car picked them up and is driving them to Tripler Army Medical Center. According to the patrol man, they're in pretty bad shape." Duke's voice was grave and Kono put a hand up to her mouth to stifle the gasp.

It was Chin's turn to finally speak. "Thanks, Duke. We're on our way."

* * *

Chin and Kono ran into the medical center and were shocked at what they saw.

Steve was sitting on the floor by the doors to the OR wing, knees snapped up to his chest and a hollow look in his eyes; the normally clear green eyes now shadowed and haunted, with dark bags underneath. He was filthy, covered in dirt and blood. His shaking hands were stained with blood and an ugly cut resided under his left eye. He was pale and looked so small curled up on the floor by the OR.

Kono ran forward and called to him. "Steve!"

Steve looked up and his eyes cleared slightly. He jumped to his feet and received the hug that Kono gave him. Hug? Tackle? Whatever it was, he was grateful for it. He felt ten degrees colder than the rest of the room and her hug helped him to feel like he was still partially alive. "Kono."

She eventually released her hold and allowed Chin to come forward and give him a firm shoulder squeeze. "Chin," Steve said, nodding.

"Boss," Kono said, looking him up and down. "what happened?"

Steve turned towards the OR doors, seemingly trying to look all the way through into the room that held his partner. "Danny . . . Xander forced him to fight in his club. He was amazing. He saved our lives, but . . . He was just too small compared to all the other fighters. They . . . They practically tore him apart." A tear trickled down his face and Chin and Kono's hearts broke in unison.

"How did you guys get out? How did you get here? What kind of shape is he in?" The questions came tumbling out of Kono's mouth before she could stop them.

Steve nodded. "Danny made a wager that if he won a fight against Xander's toughest, we could leave. Xander agreed. Danny won, but just barely. We were allowed to walk out of the compound. When we did, Danny collapsed. He was unconscious the entire way back. I had to carry him. Chin? Do you your phone?" Steve's eyes were suddenly lit with fire as he turned to Chin.

Chin fished the phone out of his pocket and handed it to the ex-SEAL, who took it and was silent for a few minutes as he worked. Finally, he passed the phone back with a highlighted point on a map. "This is where they took us."

Chin nodded and stepped away, putting his phone to his ear to make a call.

Kono stayed with Steve and asked the question she didn't really want the answer to. "What was his condition, boss?"

Steve rubbed the back of his neck and looked down, hiding the tears that sprang to his eyes. "Not good. Broken ribs, damaged ACL, internal bleeding, cut to the bicep, stab . . . he was stabbed in the chest, Kono. That bastard stabbed my partner."

Kono began to comfortingly rub his arm and said, "We'll get him, Steve."

Steve shook his head. "I know. But the one that stabbed Danny is already dead."

There was no remorse in his voice and his eyes were as cold as steel. If Kono didn't know the man that was behind those eyes so well, she may have been afraid.

Chin came back, sliding his phone in his pocket. "HPD is on their way up to the compound. Turns out that there's an old abandoned prison up there."

Steve nodded. "Good."

Kono broached a touchy subject by saying, "Boss, you should really go get cleaned up. Get a bite to eat. Have that cut looked at."

"No." The response was cold and hard and left no room for argument. He turned from them and sat back on the ground where he had been when they walked up. Shooting each other a worried glance, they joined him on the floor, the three Five-O members waiting for the fourth in silence.

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 **How was it? I hope it was better than some of the episodes we've been getting recently. Please review with thoughts, comments, or concerns. Have a wonderful week!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, everyone! So sorry about the long wait. I've been fine tuning this chapter for a couple of weeks now, and I finally decided to build up the courage and post it. I hope everyone can forgive me for the long span of time that it took to write this chapter. I hope it's good enough to make up for the long wait.**

 **What is with this new season? The Halloween episode interaction between Steve and Danny was cute, and I loved Kono's comment of "Ooohh, they in love again!" But all in all, there needs to be more bromance and more whump. But I guess that's why I'm here.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or it's characters.**

 **This chapter is very heavy on the bromance, so just a fair warning. :)**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

The remaining members of the Five-O Task Force waited outside those doors for thirty minutes before Chin got a call on his phone, pulling him away. Kono looked over at his boss and frowned at the dark bags under his eyes and the congealed blood covering almost every visible part of him. "Steve?"

Steve didn't respond, continuing to stare at the floor between his shoes. Kono reached out a hand and gently touched his arm, pulling back suddenly when he violently flinched. He looked confused for a moment before understanding and recognition dawned in his eyes and he took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, Kono. I was thinking about something."

Kono nodded, looking down at the floor. "I understand, Steve. But I really think that you should consider cleaning yourself up."

Steve shook his head, but Chin chose that moment to intervene. "Kono's right, Steve. You're scaring people. You don't wanna worry Danny, do you?" Steve searched for a moment for a rebuttal, but Chin didn't give him a chance. "Duke just called. They're ready to head up there and he asked if we wanted to join. Kono and I will be going up there, Steve. You're staying here." Steve nodded, not wishing to leave Danny's side. "However, you're going to get cleaned up. There's a bathroom right there," Chin gestured to the bathroom across the hallway only a few more feet away from the door than Steve was, "and I'm sure one of these lovely nurses would be willing to lend you a pair of scrubs. Just until we get back with a pair of clothes after going up to get whoever did this."

Steve didn't say anything, simply nodding. He knew he had lost the fight and he was too tired to even try and begin a new one.

Nodding, Chin looked at Kono and gestured over his shoulder. She reluctantly stood, putting a calming hand on his shoulder before following Chin towards the door. Chin stopped at the nurse's station before they got there, though. "Make sure he gets cleaned up. And try and get him to eat something." The nurse nodded and looked at the man who had been occupying the hallway for a little over an hour now.

Casting one last sad look towards their team leader, Chin and Kono left the hospital in search of the place that had caused such distress.

Reaching under the desk, the nurse pulled out a pair of dark blue scrubs and placed a toothbrush, toothpaste, a small bar of soap, and a washcloth on top of them before heading over to the man sitting dejectedly on the floor. She squatted down in front of him and waited until his eyes caught sight of the scrubs and he looked up at her. The emotion she saw in his green eyes made her heart hurt and she had to look away for fear of tearing up. "I brought you a change of clothes. There's also a washcloth. This is a single serve bathroom and there is only a sink, but there won't be anyone else in there. You won't have to leave this section of the hospital and I'll even knock on the door to get you if the doctor comes while you're in there." She gave him a tentative smile and held out the pile, waiting patiently for him to take it.

Steve was about to argue, but saw the genuine look in her eyes. Realizing the logic of Chin and Kono's words, he carefully smiled back at her and accepted the clothes before pushing himself up the wall. She stood with him and stepped out of the way so that he could get to the bathroom.

Once inside, Steve bolted the door and stood in front of the mirror for a moment, staring at the stranger on the other side. The stranger who looked kind of like him was bruised and covered in blood. His once light blue shirt was now smeared and torn and his cargo pants were dirt covered in addition to being caked in the red liquid. Dark bugs hung under normally bright green eyes and the stubble on his chin was several days thick. There wasn't a part of him that was clean and Steve could only imagine what he smelled like.

Turning the faucet on, Steve put his hands under the running water and watched as it immediately turned red on its journey towards the drain. Flashes of memory pierced his mind and Steve instantly turned away to the toilet as images of Danny invaded his mind. He didn't so much kneel down as collapse by the toilet and he lost whatever little food had resided in his stomach, which was practically nothing. When his muscles stopped contracting and all that remained was the tremors running through his body, Steve collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily and trying to banish the emotion in his chest. The banishment worked, but the emotion escaped through is eyes as he crumbled. Putting his face in his still wet hands, Steve wept.

His shoulder's heaved and shook, but barely any sound escaped him except for quiet gasping. The tears fell silently in the way that they do when they simply won't stop. His hands clutched uselessly at the soiled fabric of his shirt and his knees snapped up to his chest. Steve hugged them in replacement for what he really wanted to hold. His tears stained the knees of his pants as he fought violently for control that he couldn't attain. Steve sobbed in pain and sorrow and longing for his best friend.

For three days, they were stuck in that camp. For three days, Danny fought for him. And for three days, Danny was bruised, beaten, and nearly killed. The part that caused Steve's agony, though, was the fact that he was helpless to do anything. It had all been Danny. After all the arguments, the name calling, the shouting, the fighting, and the generally crappy way that Steve sometimes treated his "best friend", Danny had still taken the beating that bought them their freedom. _But at what price, Danno? I don't know if it was worth it? Your life for my freedom? That's not a good trade in my book, babe._

Crying himself to an even more exhausted state than he was already at, Steve finally dragged himself up and flushed the toilet before heading back to the sink. He stripped out of his blood soiled clothes and used the soap that the nurse had given him, scrubbing his arms and hands until they were dry and washing his face of the dried dirt and blood. The soap and water reawakened the cut on his cheek, but it didn't look infected, so Steve dismissed the injury. He put his head under the faucet and ran his fingers through is hair, knowing that something was better than nothing and dried off with the paper towels in bathroom. Pulling the fresh clothes on, he had to admit that he felt better. Dark bruises had appeared where the blood and dirt hid them before and his hair was fluffy and sticking up in all different directions, but he didn't really care. The last thing he did was make use of the toothbrush and toothpaste. _I got to remember to thank that nurse._

Tucking the toothbrush and toothpaste in one of the scrub's pockets, he threw his soiled clothes in the trash can by the door before exiting.

The nurse was standing outside and simply grabbed the sleeve of his scrubs before dragging him over to the nurse's station. She gestured towards the swivel chair beside her own and handed him a turkey and cheese on wheat, a bottle of water, and a cup of green jell-O. The look on her face said that she was now in nurse mode and would not accept his denial of the food. Steve smiled and accepted the seat without argument and started in on the green jell-O. He hated the stuff, but he was hoping that the food would help to settle his stomach. Sitting next to him, the nurse turned to her work as he slowly ate the food. After a couple of spoonfuls, he quietly spoke, shocked at the scratchy quality to his voice. "Thank you. I must look pretty ridiculous."

The nurse took a deep breath and her fingers froze over the keyboard that she had been typing on. "I've seen others that look just like you."

Steve nodded and returned to the jell-O, finishing it quietly and slowly picking up the sandwich. It was cold and the turkey had made the bread soggy, but he didn't care. He was simply glad that she hadn't gotten soup for him. He didn't think that he could even look at a bowl of soup right now.

He took a bite of the sandwich and cracked open his water bottle, taking a generous swig. When he put the bottle down, he saw that the nurse was looking at him.

"Can I ask you a question?"

 _Uh oh,_ Steve thought. "Sure."

"Are you and Detective Williams partners or are you . . . _partners_?" She said the last word slowly and carefully, doing everything possible to make it come out gently and to be as polite as possible.

Steve smirked down at his folded hands in his lap, trying not to see the blood that they had been stained with. "You wouldn't believe how many people ask us that."

"It's just," the nurse began, shrugging her shoulders, "you react to each other like a married couple does. That's what I meant when I said that I've seen others just like you."

Steve smiled and looked up at her. "Answer to your question is no, we're not married. But Danny is my . . ." He trailed off, searching for the right words to tell her what Danny was to him. He needed a word that meant best friend, brother, confidant, companion, and adviser. How did he put his fondness for Danny into words? Throughout his entire life, Steve had met people that meant a whole lot to him, but no one meant as much to him as Danny. He had lost people, good people, who were friends, but their deaths didn't impact him as much as a threat on Danny's life. For Christ's sake, he had just eaten hated green jell-o and he didn't really mind because, at the moment, it didn't matter. All that mattered to him was Danny.

Thankfully, the nurse saw his internal struggle and nodded, reaching out to rest a hand on his forearm. "I understand."

Steve smiled his thanks and returned to his sandwich, managing to eat the rest of it, and drank more of his water. He appreciated what the nurse was trying to do in diverting his mind to other conversations, but the result was always the same. His thoughts always wandered back to Danny, to the past three days of suffering, and to what Danny had done for him.

When he was finished eating, he threw his trash away and headed back to his original spot against the wall, outside the ER doors. Despite his best efforts, he soon fell asleep with his forehead cushioned on his scrub clad knees.

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 **How was it? I really hope that it was OK. Please tell me with a review! They really do mean a lot to me and they encourage me to write the next chapter!**

 **Everyone have a great weekend!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello everyone! Real life has been busy, that's why I haven't updated in awhile. I apologize for how short this chapter is. I've had it written for awhile, but I just didn't feel comfortable enough to post it. I put the finishing touches on it just now and I decided that all of you wonderful people deserved an update.**

 **This latest season has me very confused. On one hand, Danny and Steve are never together. However, when they are apart, they are always talking about each other. It's really taking on the feeling of an old married couple. I like it. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or its characters. If I did, Danny and Steve would never be apart and they would probably be roommates by now.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Danny repaid the salute with the bird, smiling triumphantly. His smile had to end, though, and it did as soon as the garage door hid them from view and Danny went limp. He dropped like a dead weight into Steve's worried arms and wouldn't respond, no matter how frantically Steve called._

 _Steve reached up to his unconscious partner's neck and pressed his fingers against the pulse point. But he already knew it was too late. Danny's blue eyes were staring up at him blankly and Steve knew that they saw nothing. Looking around himself, Steve saw the ground around him stained with red blood, seeming to have come from the wound in Danny's shoulder and the blood that was dripping from his nose and mouth._

 _A loud scream pierced the air around him and he looked up from his dead partner to see Grace Williams standing just a few feet away with the whole of Five-O standing behind her. Tears were streaming down her young face as she looked at the SEAL with disgust. "You promised you would protect him, Uncle Steve!"_

 _Chin and Kono shook their heads, looking disappointed. "How could you, McGarrett? How could you? Huh, McGarrett? McGarrett?"_

"Commander McGarrett?"

Steve jolted awake, head snapping up from his crossed arms. An older man in a pair of scrubs was looking down at him, trading nervous glances with the nurse at the desk. She was the same one from earlier and Steve briefly wondered how long he had been out. "Commander McGarrett? Are you alright?"

Steve scrambled to his feet, heart pounding as the image of Grace replayed in his mind. Her injured expression kept flashing through his mind and he couldn't seem to get the image of Danny's empty, blue eyes out of his mind, either. He never wanted to see that image again. "Yes, doctor. Sorry. I just . . . dozed off. Danny, doc. How's Danny?"

The doctor looked down at the floor before motioning towards the doors to the ICU. "Walk with me, Commander. There are some things that I need to talk to you about."

Those words made Steve's heart skip a beat, but he took a few long strides to catch up with the doctor as he walked through the door.

"Detective Williams came in with multiple injuries."

"That's somewhat of an understatement, Doc."

The doctor nodded, tilting his head to one side as he said, "Indeed, Commander." Turning a corner, he continued, "Detective Williams suffered several lacerations on his face and arms including extensive bruising over most of his body. He also has a severe concussion and his right hand and wrist were fractured in several places."

Steve held his breath and waited for the ball to drop. The doctor glanced in his direction and slowed his pace before stopping completely, turning to face the Navy SEAL. "He also had a stab wound to the upper left side of his chest. This combined with the internal bleeding caused heavy blood loss."

"But he's going to be fine, Doc, right? He's going to recover." Steve took a step forward and grabbed a hold of the doctor's arm, his eyes begging for the answer that he wanted.

"Commander . . . please. It's . . . it's not that simple. Detective Williams," the doctor started, pausing for a moment to take a breath, closing his eyes for a moment before looking back up and saying, "Detective Williams is in a coma."

Steve felt like he'd just been sucker punched. All of the air in his lungs quickly evacuated and he felt himself taking a step back and then another and then another until his back hit the wall. His knees were shaking and he struggled to remain standing, but there were still some things that he needed to have an answer to. "How? When?" His voice came out strangled and quiet, lacking any power or body.

"We lost him twice on the table. The second time, we struggled to get him back. Honestly, he's lucky to be alive. You have a very strong partner, but it was too much. Shortly after surgery, he fell into a coma."

Steve nodded, staring at the ground. He couldn't seem to get his body to cooperate with his thoughts. "He's going to wake up, right?" He knew it was a dumb question. A lot of the time, doctors couldn't even predict if the patient was going to wake up.

"I don't know, Commander. Only time will tell." The doctor replied. Speaking up before Steve could ask the question, he continued, "You can sit with him if you would like. Your reputation is known throughout the state." The doctor smiled sadly and shrugged. "I know that you'll end up in that hospital room somehow. I may as well put you in there myself."

Steve nodded and followed the doctor down the remaining length of the hallway, only distantly reading the sign on the wall that said "Intensive Care Unit". The walls were lined with glass windows that looked into the rooms of patients. At the end of the hall, in the last room, a familiar figure was settled amidst a sea of white cotton.

Entering the room in a daze, Steve vaguely registered the doctor saying something about checking in later, but he wasn't listening. All of his senses had attuned themselves to the man in the hospital bed; to the rhythmic beating of the pulse meter next to the bed, to the metallic whooshing of the breathing machine, to the machines that were keeping Danny with him. Stumbling towards the bedside, Steve all but collapsed into the chair beside Danny. He took in every detail about his partner, fighting for sight through the tears filling his eyes.

Danny looked terrible, covered in black and blue bruises and sporting a sling that tucked his right arm against his body. Several bags of fluid hung beside the bed, replacing the blood that Danny had lost. He'd been carefully cleaned to remove any blood from the past couple of days. But this care couldn't help the fact that there was a tube down his partner's throat, breathing for him.

Leaning forward in the chair, Steve gently took Danny's left hand and wrapped it in his two warm ones. He couldn't help but look at his friend's right hand, staring at the abrasions and bruising across his knuckles, telling the tale of his many in-ring battles.

Ignoring the tears beginning to travel down his cheeks, Steve forced some words past his dry throat. "Hey, buddy." Looking away from his partner, Steve rubbed his thumbs over his partner's hand, trying to block out the memory of his hands covered in Danny's blood. A shaking breath escaped him as he fought for control over his emotions. "Oh, Danny." Looking back up, he stared at his partner through a film. "I'm not going to demand anything from you. You've – You've done so much already. You saved both of us. I owe you even more than I did before, babe." More deep shaky breaths broke away from the SEAL and he paused, attempting to collect himself, but failing to do so. Barely holding together, Steve looked back up at his best friend, shaking at the sight of the life support equipment. "Go ahead and take a break, buddy. I'll be here when you wake up."

Steve wished that he could cry, he really did, but there were no tears left. Instead, he only had this icy feeling of emptiness, like a fathomless pit in his stomach. There was no outward show of emotion and Steve wasn't sure that he was even fully conscious. Rather, all he could do was sit in the chair beside Danny's bed and hold his partner's hand, hoping that the last glimpse of his partner's blue eyes wasn't in his nightmare.

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 **Once again, sorry for the short chapter, but I knew where I wanted to go with this chapter and it just kind of ended here.**

 **Please tell me your thoughts with a review. I appreciate every single one and I really hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Thank you and have a wonderful New Year!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everyone! Hope you've been well! I'm off work today due to bad weather and I decided that it was a good time to try and update this story. I want to thank everyone for staying with me through the long waits. I really appreciate it. In atonement, I wrote a longer chapter than I was originally was planning on. I am also hoping that I will be able to do some more writing today, but no promises. Family is a little crazy and I may be pulled away from my laptop.**

 **I must admit, I am a little behind on the season, by maybe two episodes. This season has been ok, but I can't help but feel like they are getting ready to mess everything up. I do like the married feeling that Steve and Danny have taken on (talking about each other when the other isn't there and taking on a gentler attitude towards each other) but I'm afraid that they are going to introduce some sort of Catherine story-line. For me, that would be completely unwelcome. Then again, I am all about that bromance. :)**

 **I have been working for awhile on this chapter. Today, I decided to put the finishing touches on it and submit it for all you beautiful readers.**

 **Warnings: There is a few "bad words" in this chapter. Just warning you.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O. If I did . . . well, I guess you guys know what I would do with it. ;)**

 **Now enough of my blabbing. Onto Steve and Danny! ENJOY!**

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Steve listened to the dial tone on the other end of the line, waiting for his call to be answered. He had a duty to his partner to make sure that Grace Williams knew.

Grace Williams, whom Danny had followed from his beloved city to this "pineapple infested hellhole" to be with.

Grace Williams, whom Danny had fought for everyday against the woman that he used to call wife.

Grace Williams, who had seen her father get beaten and bloodied only to get back up and take some more.

Grace Williams, who was no longer a child.

Grace Williams, whom Steve loved like his own child.

 _How am I going to tell her?_

When Danny had barged into John McGarrett's garage, Steve had been there, searching for clues. Steve would have found his father's killer, but he may not have stayed on the island afterwards. Steve attributed most of the cause for his continued residence on the island to his irascible partner. All those years ago, Danny had given Steve his friendship and then proceeded to give Steve a family.

Steve smiled at a thought as the call progress tone continued to ring in his ear. _If we were in Lethal Weapon, I would be Riggs, the wanderer back from war, and Danny would be Murtaugh, the cop who's too old for this shit._

Steve's smile disappeared, though, when the call was answered. "Hey, Uncle Steve." Gracie's voice on the other end of the line was much different from when Steve had first come to the island. There were no more stuffed bunnies and tiny pigtails. Now there was lipstick and, to Danny's eternal despair, boys.

Steve took a deep breath, his frown deepening as he tried to keep his tone even. "Hey, Gracie. How's California?" Rachel had taken Grace to California for the week, wanting to show her the sights and take her to some of the big cities. _She's probably trying to win Grace's affection with trips and treats._ Steve was close enough to his partner that he was often privy to the fights that happened between Rachel and Danny and he knew that this was one of the situations Danny had been worried about. Danny feared that Grace would choose Rachel over him for the simple fact that Danny did not have a lot of money to shower Grace with physical possessions and Rachel was more than capable of providing for Grace's every whim. But Steve thought differently. Grace adored her father and Steve knew that Grace wouldn't leave him.

"Oh, you know. It's nice, but I live in Hawaii and home just happens to be hard to beat," she laughed. Her giggles died quickly, though, when Steve did not join her. "Uncle Steve? Is something wrong? Where's Danno? What's happened?"

Steve fell into his chair beside Danny's bed again, looking his partner up and down as he slowly spoke. "Your father and I . . . Danno and I were kidnapped. They forced him to fight in a ring for several days. I couldn't . . . He wouldn't let me . . . They threatened to kill me if I interfered, and you know Danno, Grace. I was more afraid of what Danny would do if I interfered that what the bad guys would do." Grace giggled shallowly, her voice sounding thick as she tried to keep some semblance of composure. Like her Uncle Steve, she was failing.

Steve attempted to continue, his throat closing up and voice growing thick. "Gracie-."

"It's not your fault, Uncle Steve. Whatever happened, it's not your fault. I know, Danno. He would've made sure that nothing happened to you. And I know you, Uncle Steve. I know that if there was anything you could have done, you would have done it." She sniffled. "How is he?"

Steve took a deep shuddering breath. "He's . . . Grace, he's in a coma."

There was silence on the other end of the line. He didn't even know if she was breathing. _It used to be easier when she was younger. I could've just said that Danny was sick. Now, she's too old. I can't use that anymore. Danny may have a problem with me telling her, but she needs to know._

"What . . . What did the doctors say? Do I need to come back early? Never mind, I'm going to come back early. I can get Mom to book a flight." Her voice was unsteady and brimming with emotion. He could hear the tears in her voice and Steve desperately wished that he didn't have to tell her this news over the phone.

"They said that Danny was strong. They said he was hanging in there, but that he was injured pretty badly. We have to have faith in your Dad, Grace. We have to be strong for him." Thinking of that day so many years ago, Steve smiled sadly, choking on dry tears. "Can you do that, Gracie? Can you be strong for Danno?"

He knew that Grace understood the reference and he could hear her smiling through her tears. "I can do that, Uncle Steve. Please take care of Danno for me until I get back. I'm going to get Mom to bring me back early. Tell Danno I love him."

"Don't worry, Gracie. I've got him. It's my turn to take care of him." Taking a deep breath, Steve steadied his voice to say, "Know that Danno loves you."

"I love you too, Uncle Steve. It's not your fault."

Steve laughed bitterly. If only he could believe those words. "I love you too, Gracie."

Steve waited until the other end of the line hung up and then hung up his phone too. Turning back towards his partner, Steve lowered his gaze, focusing on his partner's left hand instead of his face. "Grace says she loves you, but I figuring that you already know that." Silence hung in the air for several minutes, the stillness being interrupted by the beeping of the heart rate monitor and the whooshing of the breathing machine. "That's a good kid you raised there, Danny. She's got a good head on her shoulders. She's cutting her visit to the mainland short to come and see you. She was trying to convince me that this-," he gestured to the state Danny was in, waving his hand over his partner's body, "isn't my fault." Hanging his head, he ran his shaking hands through his hair, breathing in gasps. His chest hurt and his heart was hammering in his chest. "Oh, Danny. If only she knew."

Ever since they'd gotten free and Danny had been . . . unconscious, something had felt off. He didn't feel right; he didn't feel whole. There was something vital missing from him. It felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest, causing a gaping, aching wound in the center of his very being. Everything hurt and the colors around him seemed muted. He was living in a fog and he couldn't seem to get out of it. The world around him didn't feel like his own and he felt like he was watching everything from down a tunnel. He wasn't hungry, he wasn't thirsty, and he wasn't tired. He was simply there.

* * *

Chin and Kono moved forward onto the compound, weapons up and tactical vests on. There was a SWAT team with them and several other members of the HPD. The compound that Steve had pointed out on Chin's phone was before them. There were no lights on inside and Kono briefly wondered if they were too late; if the fight club had moved on out of fear of being discovered.

Moving forward with years of experience behind their movements, the team quickly passed through the gate, making minimal noise, and headed towards the main are of the compound. There was a large garage door before them and no spotters had been seen. There appeared to be no watchtowers.

Applying explosives to the garage door, one of the SWAT officers counted down before pressing a detonator, blowing the garage door to pieces. Gunfire greeted them as they moved forward, trading rounds with some unseen attackers. Intent of taking the compound, the combined forces began to move forward, clearing the area and taking out the mini militia. Kono kept her eyes peeled for any signs of the man that they had been tracking as a team a few days ago, Charles Xander.

A few bullets struck the wall behind Kono and she turned her gun towards a man on a catwalk above her. Squeezing the trigger, she took out the man and turned back to her search.

"Stand down! Stop shooting!" As the fire fight died down, a lone man walked out, holding up his hands in a placating manner. "This is no way to treat guests."

Standing with a shit-eating grin in the middle of the combatants was Charles Xander. Slowly, the small militia that ran the fight club complied to the order from their boss and dropped their weapons before allowing themselves to be cuffed and hauled away by the HPD officers.

Kono approached Xander and held up her cuffs, only for him to wave his hands and smile. "There will be no need for those, Detective Kalakaua. I won't resist."

Ignoring his statement (and the fact that he knew her name), Kono secured the handcuffs around his wrists and tightened them down, ignoring his grimace. "Charles Xander, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Detective Danny Williams." Chin came up on the other side and grabbed the businessman's other arm.

"Not even to mention the charges that will be pressed for running an illegal, underground fight club." The grip Chin had on Xander's other arm was merciless and hard enough to bruise.

Xander's smile returned as he looked at the two members of Five-O. "How is Detective Williams? I was hoping that he would be interested in returning to my fight club."

If Chin's grip became crushingly tight and Kono's treatment towards the criminal became worse, nothing was said and HPD didn't react when Xander was loaded into a car and taken directly to Five-O headquarters.

* * *

Steve looked up from his silent analysis of his partner's heart rate at the sound of someone in the doorway. "Hey, Kono."

Kono looked at the man sitting by Danny's bedside, frowning at the dark bags and the slumped posture. His skin was pale and his eyes were glassy. She hoped that the nurse had gotten him to eat something, but she wouldn't be surprised if that was the last thing Steve ate for awhile. "Hey, Boss. How you doin'?"

Steve's eyes searched the room before landing on Danny. With just a hint of self-loathing, he responded, "I'm fine." Turning his eyes back towards his teammate, he asked expectantly, "Did you get him?"

Kono didn't need to ask whom Steve was referring to. "We got him."

"I want to talk to him," Steve said, rising from his chair.

"Steve," Kono said, stepping forward to block his path to the door, "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"Kono, I need to talk to him."

Steve's green eyes had gone dark and Kono's worry for her boss ratcheted up a notch. She stepped to the side and he moved forward, freezing before he left the room. His eyes traveled back to Danny's form and a silent plea flashed in the green depths as he looked back at Kono.

Kono nodded, taking a seat next to Danny's bed and Steve flashed her a sad smile before leaving the room.

The younger officer looked sadly at Danny, sending a prayer that her friend would make it through. She had no doubt that if Danny didn't make it, neither would Steve and neither would Xander.

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 **What did everyone think? Please tell me with a review!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**I am so sorry for the long wait. My home life has been simply insane and depressing, which caused a little writers block and then work got real crazy. I've never stopped thinking about you guys, though, and I'm really happy that this chapter is finally done.**

 **Disclaimer: I do now own Hawaii Five-O and I am not a medical professional.**

 **Thank you, everyone, for your patience. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Please see the end for more notes about the future.**

* * *

Steve bypassed the Five-O offices completely, choosing instead to go directly to the holding cells below. He knew that Chin would probably see him on the security cameras, but by the time he got there, it would be too late. Steve would be done by the time he got there.

He ran down the stairs and burst into the blue lit hallways of the interrogation center of Five-O. Steve's face twisted into a grimace as the hallways haunted him with memories of his energetic partner. The entire building was having that effect on him, though, presenting him with images of Danny's Camaro in the parking lot or his Jersey accent ringing off the stone walls. His footsteps on the cold concrete seemed to echo in a way where he could almost hear Danny's footsteps next to him. He smiled at the auditory memory of how Danny's footsteps were slightly quicker than his because of his partner's shorter stature. How he would probably be ranting right now at Steve to slow down. But the smile faded almost as quickly as it had come. He was all too reminded of the fact that Danny's footsteps were not present and his frown turned into a grimace. Danny's absence was becoming physically painful.

He reached the only interrogation room with its door closed and froze with his fingers over the key pad. Doubt shot through his mind at whether he would be able to do this. Would he be able to face the man that tried to take Danny away from Charlie? Away from Grace? Away from _him_?

 _Hell yes,_ he thought as he punched in the code.

Chin was in his office, filling out paperwork for the fight club takedown, when his phone rang. Replacing his pen with his phone in his hand, Chin answered after seeing Kono on the caller ID. "Hey, Kono. How's Steve?"

"Haven't you seen him?" Kono's voice said back.

"No. He's at the hospital, isn't he?" Chin's heartbeat was in his ears now, filling his thoughts with urgency.

"No. He headed for the palace over half-an-hour ago, Chin. He should be there by now." Silence hung for a few seconds before Kono said, "He went directly to Xander."

Chin ran out of his office to the main bullpen and pulled up the security feed for the palace, scanning through multiple screens until his eyes locked on a figure in the hallway of the interrogation rooms. "I got him, Kono. He's outside Xander's cell." Leaving the table, Chin sprinted to the basement, taking the stairs two at a time on his way down and using the railings to even skip some flights. Bursting into the pale corridors, he ran to Xander's room and punched in the code. His heart sank when it buzzed back at him, indicating that someone had given the override code for the lock and only the code from the head of Five-O would be able to unlock it – who was incidentally also the man who could have a homicidal rage towards the criminal inside and who had locked it in the first place. "Kono . . . Kono, he's locked the door. I can't get in. Steve's alone with Xander."

* * *

Steve checked to make sure that the door was not accepting Chin's code and would give him some privacy before turning to look at the man who sat in the middle of the room. Said man, by the name of Charles Xander, had the balls to smile up at him. "Commander McGarrett! I am very pleased to see you again, seeing as how you couldn't remain a guest at my compound for any longer."

Steve moved to the wall and leaned against it, glaring at the man in the cold, blue light. His face was tilted down so his expression was impossible to see in the shadow and his arms were crossed across his chest, the muscles bulging in barely suppressed anger.

"You and Detective Williams were such a huge hit, no pun intended, at my compound. I haven't had returns on fights like those in a very long time." Smiling around the room, Xander's eyes took on a new glint. "I am somewhat disappointed that you haven't returned my hospitality, though. The accommodations I gave you were much nicer than this," he said, rattling the handcuffs behind his back. Focusing his gaze on Steve, Xander asked, "Where is Detective Williams, Commander? I would very much like to see him again."

Steve voice was cold and sharp, lacking in any emotion except for anger. "You will never see him again. If I have my way, you won't even be in the same state as him for very much longer."

Xander gave a cartoonish frown. "Such a pity. I did enjoy your partner. He had spirit."

The word 'had' disturbed Steve, sending a shiver down his spine, and he couldn't help but say, "Has. He has spirit."

Xander's smile returned, larger now than it had been before. "So the detective is still alive. He's tougher than I thought. I, honestly, expected him to die before he made it out of the compound."

Steve's lip curled down in disdain and his eyes narrowed. No other part of him had moved since the beginning of their conversation. "Why?"

Xander looked up at him, smiling in glee at the emotions he could see in McGarrett's eyes. "Why what, Commander?"

"Why did you choose Danny? Why didn't you use me?"

Rolling his eyes, Xander said, "For the leader of Five-O, you aren't very good at understanding business, which was what my fight club was: a business. Think about it, Commander. If I put you in the ring, people would never bet against you. A 6'1" ex-Navy SEAL who is trained in all manners of combat? You would surely win; no question. There is no sport in that. There's no element of chance or luck. However, your partner was a whole different story. A 5'5" cop from New Jersey? There's a game. There's the sport! No one would bet for him; all the bets would be against him. Surely, he can't stand up to a 6' street fighter. But I knew something that my patrons didn't. He had something to protect: you. Anyone who is even decent at reading people could see that Detective Williams is deeply loyal to you and would do practically anything to protect you, which he did. Loyalty in a fight can do amazing things, Commander. I knew that I would get some money out of your partner, I just didn't realize it would be as much as it was because I didn't expect him to survive as long as he did." Xander's eyes sparkled maniacally as he described his motivation and his smile reminded Steve of a shark. His words came out in a tone that seemed like Steve shouldn't even have to ask his motivation; like everything was so perfectly logical and understandable that there was no question. "That, Commander, is why I chose your partner over you," he finished, tilting his head as if daring Steve to refute his logic.

Steve wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around the sick bastard's throat and squeeze till he felt something give. He wanted to use his bare hands to rip him apart and leave nothing but a smear on the floor. He wanted to do to Xander what had been done to Danny, but he wanted to finish the job and put Xander in an unmarked grave. He'd never felt such all consuming rage before, and he knew what it meant to be blood thirsty. Instead of having Danny's blood staining his hands, he wanted Xander's.

Taking a step from the shadows, he froze when he heard a familiar voice in his head. _**Woah, there, babe. Just think about this for a second. You don't really want to do this.**_ _ **Just take a deep breath and calm down.**_ Steve smiled at the sound of Danny's voice in his head, guiding his actions. _Of course my conscience would sound like Danny._ _ **Damn right, it does! Somebody's gotta be the voice of reason in this relationship!**_ Taking a deep breath, Steve took another step forward and crouched down in front of Xander. "There's one thing that you didn't take into account, though, which is shocking since you know how to read people so well," he added in a condescending tone. Eyes turning dark, Steve practically growled out, "And that's **my** loyalty to Detective Williams." Standing suddenly, Steve threw a punch at the criminal, striking him so violently that the chair, had it not been nailed to the floor, would have tipped over.

Xander spat blood onto the floor, looking shaken for the first time.

"You succeeded, Xander." Steve scowled from above Xander, his eyes dark and his voice low. "You found the person in my life that I would do anything for. And _you almost took. Him. Away._ So know this," Steve grabbed a handful of the criminals hair and yanked his head back so he was looking straight up at the SEAL when he spoke. His eyes were dark and vicious; his voice a low growl. "If anything happens to my partner, I **will kill you**. I don't care where you are, I don't care how many people you have, I will get to you and I will kill you. If Danny dies from his injuries, you will die of the same. I will let you live just long enough to understand his pain, and then your life will end. Do you understand?"

Xander nodded, looking the closest to scared that Steve had ever seen the man. His eyes were wide and blood was dribbling down from the corner of his mouth from when Steve had slapped him. "I understand," he stuttered, nodding his head and never taking his eyes away from Steve, looking at him like a man would look at a dangerous animal that had wandered into his path.

Steve didn't nod or say another word, simply releasing Xander's hair and moving towards the door. Angrily jabbing his unlock-code into the panel, he opened the door to reveal a very worried looking Chin Ho Kelly. Still not saying a word, he brushed past the man and headed back down the hallway, leaving Chin to look in the room, checking that Xander was still in on piece, before following Steve towards the main Five-O offices.

Xander made sure to flash Chin a terrified expression and waited for the door to close. As soon as it clicked into place, he dropped the expression, his smile returning as he smiled into the camera in the corner. "I understand completely, Commander."

* * *

 **How was it? I hope it was alright. Please tell me with a review.**

 **Additionally, I have created a tumblr blog and you can find and follow me at .com. I will try and update it pretty regularly and you can message me through there as well here. But that is where I will be posting messages in between updates.**

 **Thanks, again, and I hope that everyone has a great rest of their week.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello!**

 **I hope everyone is doing well. I'm so sorry about the long wait. Real life between school, work, and family has been kind of hard and writer's block is mean. But now I'm on fall break and I'm hoping to get some writing done!**

 **Thank you so much for hanging with me! Your support really does make a difference.**

 **Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Hawaii Five-O. If I did, things would be VERY different (this new season . . .).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chin followed Steve up to the main offices, watching as he moved to the center console and leaned against the side. His shoulders heaved and Chin knew that Steve was desperately struggling with the events that had just transpired. Even though he and Danny were safe now, they had still been in terrible danger earlier, and the stress was showing on the task force leader. His shoulders were slumped instead of their normal pristine straightness and his hands were clutching at the side of the table to hide their shaking. Chin instinctually knew that there would be dark circles under Steve's eyes and his hair, even from behind him, was sticking up and in need of a proper wash.

"Steve," Chin carefully said, moving closer to the ex-SEAL in a slow and predictable manner. "You alright?"

There was a pause as Steve gathered his thoughts, but all he could manage after a few moments was, "I'm fine."

Chin nodded. Moving up to stand next to him, he pushed, "I was worried there, for a second. When you just came in without saying anything and locked that door, I thought you were going to-."

"Kill him?" Steve asked, turning his haunted gaze towards Chin.

Chin could see it in his eyes. They were dark and serious, and there were, indeed, bags underneath. He could see the bloodshot nature that stress and lack of sleep had given them and he could see the way that there were slightly red from some earlier crying. But, more than anything, Chin could see the weight behind Steve's words and how he **did** want to kill Xander. The anger burned bright and the hatred was staggering in its depth and Chin was reminded of when he had first seen Steve after the death of his father. How that same hatred and anger had been there. However, since Steve had met Danny, that anger and hatred hadn't appeared very often. Even in all of Steve's dealings with Wo Fat, that anger hadn't quiet surfaced. And yet, now, here it was, directed at the man a few floors below them.

"Steve . . . Danny's going to be okay," Chin tried to reassure.

Steve shook his head and looked back down at where his hands were clutching the table. "He almost killed him, Chin. Xander almost killed Danny. He still hasn't woken up. He may never wake up. The doctors' don't know." Steve looked at the picture that was up on the digital board: a smiling businessman-looking Xander. "He doesn't deserve a prison cell."

"You don't believe that, Steve-."

Steve cut him off with a look that said exactly the opposite: _Oh, yes, I do._

Chin, for once, didn't know what to say.

Looking down at the watch on his wrist, Steve moved towards the door. "I gotta get back to the hospital."

Snagging the ex-SEAL's arm with a firm hand, Chin stopped him in his tracks. "You have to have faith in Danny. Don't plan for the worst. He wouldn't want that. "

Steve smiled sadly, unhooking his arm and saying, "Danny is the pessimist, normally; not me."

He moved quickly and left before Chin could say anything else. Slowly pulling out his phone, Chin dialed the number of his cousin and put the phone up to his ear, pausing for a moment before saying, "Steve just left here . . . Yes, Xander's okay. He's just a little scared . . . I'm worried about him, Kono. If Danny doesn't pull through, we may have a serious problem . . . I have no doubt that he would kill him."

As Steve walked down the stairs of the Palace and left through the front doors, his mind wandered and kept returning to the image of Danny, unconscious and bleeding in his arms, as he fought to get them to some help.

Which is why he didn't see the suspicious looking men, sitting in a car in the parking lot. Nor did he see them starting their car and following him out onto the road as he turned in the direction of Tripler Army Medical Center.

* * *

Steve stopped for coffee on his way to the hospital and accidentally ordered two cups. It was habit, now, and, when he realized what he had done, he apologized to the barista for the way his hands shook when he took the cups. The barista simply smiled and said, "It's alright, sir."

When Steve got to the hospital, he passed one of the cups of coffee to Kono and pretended that he meant for that one to be for her the whole time.

"Have there been any changes?" Steve inquired as he moved to the side of the bed, laying a gentle hand on Danny's arm to reassure him that he was back. Whether he was reassuring Danny or himself, he didn't really know. Perhaps he was reassuring them both.

"Not really," Kono said, taking a sip from the bitter coffee. "The doctor was just here. He said Danny was holding, so that's good. He's not getting worse."

Steve nodded, looking at his partner's sleeping face. The dark bruising made him feel hollow and the split knuckles on the back of Danny's hand made him ache. Slowly reaching out from his standing position, Steve took his partner's hand and gently moved his thumb across the back, carefully avoiding the split skin. "I need him to wake up, Kono."

Kono nodded, remembering her and Chin's conversation.

" _Do you think Steve would hurt Xander?"_

" _I have no doubt that he would kill him."_

Those words hung heavily on her now. In the midst of the tenderness that Steve showed to Danny was the knowledge of what Steve could do to Xander. His hands, which were gentle and caring, now, could turn deadly and break bone in a matter of seconds. "He's going to wake up."

Moving in a swift motion, Kono stood from her spot next to the bed and moved to Steve's side, putting her arm around him in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. "He's going to wake up. He just needs some time." She felt, rather than saw, Steve nod and moved away, towards the door. "I'm going to head back to the Palace; see if I can help Chin with all the paperwork that we have to do since taking down Xander's organization. She stopped in the doorway and held up the cup of warm coffee, smiling back at him and waiting until she caught his eye. "Thanks for the coffee, by the way."

Steve nodded and smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes and Kono knew that that was all she was going to get out of him. By the time the door had closed behind her, Steve's attention was already far away, back in the hallways of the compound that he and Danny had been held in.

* * *

As Kono left the hospital, she noticed two men walking in, looking a little too calm for people who were walking into a trauma ward. Her instincts told her that something was wrong and she paused outside, looking in as the two men rounded a corner and disappeared from her view. Ultimately, though, she dismissed it as paranoia and took a long swig from her coffee to settle her nerves and continued on her way towards the Palace.

* * *

 **What did you think? Please tell me with a review! I've been fighting with myself about whether or not to post this, but I finally decided that you all deserved something, so here we go! I hope that it made up for the wait! There will be more Danny soon, so just hang in there. Once again, thank you so much for your patience.**

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